Love will not Die
by Silver Fox5
Summary: “Quatre, if we owe each other nothing else, we owe each other the truth...Just tell me straight, what do you know?" *Finished*
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own Gundam Wing or any of it's its characters, so sorry if you were planning on suing me, because you won't get anything cause I'm broke!  
  
Author's note: This is my second fic, and I think it may turn out good. This story is actually one of my older ones that I revised and changed the title.( I formerly had the penname of Candy-Kane) It has come to my attention that I am not the only one to use the penname Silver Fox. I'd like to give my apologies to the person/people who had it first; I didn't know someone else had it. Either way, I would like to hear input from people. I'll gladly take criticism, but not about my pairing of Quatre and Dorothy. Any other criticism I'll gladly read. So, let it begin!  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part I  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
Dorothy nervously tapped her long fingernails on her black purse as she waited in the small waiting room of a doctor's office. She knew that this day would come, the day of her appointment. She was going to see a heart specialist for the second time after suffering from minor chest pain day after day, for two weeks. The truth was it still hurt a bit now. The pain wasn't side splitting or anything, more like a dull ache. But being in this waiting room was awkward. Yes, very awkward indeed, because across the room, a large man was smoking an unlit cigar and mumbling to himself, constantly. When he said something to Dorothy, she didn't understand it, so she politely nodded. She also concluded that he must be here for the mental health specialist. She was just about to get up to get a new magazine, when she heard a rather irritated voice.  
  
"Miss Catalonia?"  
  
Dorothy turned to see a sneering secretary, who's expression looked like she had dung under her nose. That was another reason that Dorothy became even more nervous.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"The doctor will see you now."  
  
"Oh, th-thank you." Dorothy rose and followed the rude faced woman down a long and winding corridor until she finally reached a small and brightly lit room.  
  
"Have a seat," she said before she turned and slammed the door shut again. Dorothy sat down and, again waited. She was so nervous that even the air felt stiff. Within a short amount of time, the male doctor she had seen last week entered the room.  
  
"Hello Dorothy," he greeted.  
  
"Hello Dr. Weston," she replied.  
  
The man sat at his desk, put on his glasses and rummaged through some papers. "Now, now, let's see what you're here for." Dorothy was just about to reply when he finished saying,  
  
"Oh, that's right. We have to check those results of the tests we took, don't we?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Alright, just give me a second to find your folder."  
  
Dorothy only nodded. In her opinion, she thought he was treating her like a six- year-old.  
  
"Ok, here's your folder, Miss Catalonia. Let's see the results." His jolly face instantly hardened as soon as he took something out of the folder. He studied it for a long time, as if trying to analyze it himself.  
  
"Doctor, what is it?" Dorothy asked, but not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.  
  
"Well, Miss Catalonia, I'm afraid to say that you have Chagas disease."  
  
"I-I have a disease?" she stuttered in disbelief.  
  
"Yes. We took blood tests last time, and found the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It causes the infection that is the disease. It has infected your heart, which is why you were having chest pains. I'm afraid that I don't know much more. You'll have to go to a specialist at the hospital. I'll make an appointment for you."  
  
"Will I die from this?" Dorothy asked  
  
"Um, well," it looked as though it was difficult to continue, "you see, this is the chronic stage of the infection, so there really is no medicine to treat it now, but you'll have to see the specialist."  
  
"But that doesn't answer my question, will I die from this?" she asked, getting a little annoyed that he was beating around the bush.  
  
"Alright, from my knowledge, which isn't about the entire illness, yes, it is a possibility that you could. die."  
  
"I see," Dorothy said slowly and deliberately, even though she really didn't. How could she have contracted such a serious disease?  
  
"Doctor," she said, "thank you. If that is all, I would like to leave now."  
  
"Oh, yes. Have a nice day."  
  
'Knowing that I might die, oh yeah I'm really going to have a nice day.' She thought bitterly to herself  
  
"You too," she replied flatly. ****  
  
Quatre anxiously awaited the arrival of his girlfriend in his big empty house. She was supposed to be home an hour ago. Her doctor's appointment should have been over by now. He was starting to get very worried. And it seemed that he always constantly worried about her, but he had good reason. In the past, everything always seemed to happen to her, everything bad, which was why he worried so much. Luck never seemed to be on their side. But even still, he had always loved her and always would, more than anything in his life. He cocked his head up when he heard the door open and the sound produced a somber echo throughout the house. Knowing it must be Dorothy; he heaved himself up and headed toward the front of the house. He practically jogged because he was so happy to see her again.  
  
But when he reached the door, the sight that awaited him was one that didn't please him. Dorothy was here, but there was something wrong with this picture. Whenever she used to get home, she would always run up to him and give him a kiss. She usually was so energetic. But now, she looked a little more than down. Her usually bright and sparkling eyes looked so dull and hazy. The glow that usually surrounded her seemed gone. Again, this worried Quatre very much, so he intended to go comfort her, but she coldly brush past him.  
  
"Hello Quatre," she said in a very monotone voice.  
  
"Dorothy, what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing I'm willing to talk about at the moment."  
  
"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.  
  
"No, it's just."  
  
"What? Dorothy, you can tell me. Please."  
  
"Let's go sit down first. I'm really quite tired from everything that's happened to me today."  
  
"What happened today?"  
  
"If you'll let me sit down, then I'll tell you."  
  
"Oh, alright." With that said, he took her arm and guided her toward the couch. After they both sat, he turned and looked at her again. "Now please, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded. For a moment she didn't answer. For a moment she seemed lost, and scared.  
  
"Alright," she sighed after what seemed like forever. She turned her head to look Quatre straight in the eye. Her gaze was almost fierce, and yet also so soft.  
  
"Quatre, I have a disease."  
  
His soul shook within him. It was with a terrible fear that he felt every part of himself quiver.  
  
"A. disease? Is it serious? How did you get it? Is there a cure?" he asked all in a rush. He was about to continue his rambling when she put her delicate hand over his mouth to stop him.  
  
"Please, just listen for a second," she started. With that, he instantly fell silent and paid extremely close attention as she continued. "The disease is called Chagas disease. It's an infection of the blood, and it's infected my heart. The disease is at the chronic stage, whatever that means. That's all I really know. The doctor told me that I'd have to see a specialist about the disease. But I could die from this. He did know that much. But, I don't know anything else."  
  
Quatre felt his own heart give a painful twist inside his chest. "Die? Y- you could die from this?" It was almost too painful to say, and yet he somehow found the strength to.  
  
"That's right, just like I said. I could die. Of course I still have to see the specialist to determine that, but it is a possibility."  
  
The thing that disturbed Quatre most was the fact that Dorothy was being so calm while talking about all of this. She was saying it so emotionlessly that it sounded like she was reading a news report. Quatre himself was almost to the point of tears. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her. But why was she so ordinary about this? Quatre couldn't hide his emotions any longer, so he held Dorothy in a tight embrace, gently stroking her soft blonde hair. Silent tears forced their way out his eyes and onto his light skinned face. From there, some fell on to her hair.  
  
"Quatre?" she asked concerned  
  
"Dorothy, you can't die! I can't lose you. I love you too much. Don't die, please don't leave me!"  
  
"Quatre," she bit her lip. The last thing she wanted to do was cause him pain. "I promise you I'll try my best to fight this disease. I don't want to die, because then I would hurt you, and that's not what I want." "What do you want?" he wondered out loud.  
  
She closed her eyes and thought dreamily. "I want to be with you. I want to stay with you. I don't want to leave you because I don't want to hurt you. Nothing would make me happier than just to see your smiling face every day. Just to know your love is with me, that is all I truly want," she finished.  
  
His soul wept for her. Such a beautiful, kind and caring person like her should not have to die. She should be able to spread her kindness toward others. If it was the last thing he did, Quatre vowed he would try to save her.  
  
"I love you Dorothy. I love you so much. More than all the stars in the sky, more than life itself. You need to know that, and remember, I'll always be with you."  
  
"I love you too Quatre. And you remember, I'll never leave you." ****  
  
  
  
Author's note: Well, there's part 1. I hope I didn't do too terribly. Really, I thought it came out good. Just so you know, Chagas is pronounced sha-gus and it is a very real and very terrible disease. I'm going to write symptoms, ways to catch it, stages of it, and treatment all in part 2. So, please read on to part 2 and enjoy! 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Ok, I don't own the characters or Gundam Wing so please don't sue me!  
  
Author's Note: Here is the next part. I think I like the way it's coming along, but I'd really like input, so please read and review!  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part II  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
Dorothy once again found herself inside the waiting room of a medical facility. Only this time, two things were different. She was in a very large hospital waiting room for one thing, and the second thing was that she wasn't alone this time. Her valiant knight in shining armor Quatre was there with her, feeling the pain with her. He was always at her side, holding her and her spirit up. The fact that she had this disease made him cry every night. She knew because she could hear him sobbing into his pillow, praying to God that she would live and be ok. Every time she heard this, Dorothy cried herself. She could feel the misery and anguish that he was feeling. Anything that the felt, it seemed like she could experience it ten times worse. At the moment, he was just sitting there and holding her hand. She felt that she had to say something. He looked as if he were in hell.  
  
"Quatre?" she asked meekly.  
  
"Huh, what is it?"  
  
"I'm sorry for having to put you through this."  
  
"Putting me through what?"  
  
"All this pain and suffering. You really shouldn't have to bear this, but I am glad you're here." She put her head on his shoulder and they both let their eyes stray. " Do you remember the first time you tried to kiss me?" she said smiling.  
  
Quatre smiled himself at that memory. It was when they had met sometime after the war, in a street café. She was her usual self, so confident, thinking she knew everything. They talked about everything, the weather, politics, she had even pointed out that his shoes made extremely tacky an understatement. When he leaned over and tried to kiss her, for a second she did nothing, and then slapped him. When he kissed her again, she slapped him again. Then after a long period of silence, she said 'Oh what the hell' and kissed him herself. Quatre tuned his mind back to the present. "Yes, you slapped me twice, then kissed me yourself the third time." "Well you didn't seem to mind, now did you?" she teased playfully.  
  
He chuckled. "No, I suppose I didn't." This was so refreshing to him. It was like they had forgotten the situation they were in and could just reminisce like anyone else would do. "Do you remember you also said 'If I said your shoes were tacky, it would be the understatement of the century.'  
  
She laughed out loud. "Well I stand by my decision there, those shoes were just bad. I'm glad you got rid of them." She took out a black scrunchie and put her hair in a low ponytail. "How about the time you got off at Rashid and fired him, then I had to negotiate with both of you so he'd get his job back?"  
  
Quatre scratched his head and looked very embarrassed. "Um, yeah, I guess. Well you always were good with politics, that's how you reasoned with both of us."  
  
"Yeah, I guess I am." She wrapped her arms around his sides as he put an arm around her shoulder. "It's funny," she said softly, "how just now we seemed to escape all that were going through just by reminiscing with each other. Thanks for being here."  
  
He kissed her forehead softly. " I'll always be here for you."  
  
"Miss Catalonia? The doctor will see you now," said a tall nurse. She eyed Quatre. "I'm afraid he'll have to wait out here," she added nastily.  
  
"Why? Can't he come with me?" Dorothy protested while standing up to face the nurse. Though she had to look down because the nurse was rather short. The nurse shot her a dirty look.  
  
"Because he just can't. Now be a good little girl and come with me." She took Dorothy's arm and tried to pull her along, but Dorothy would not go so easily.  
  
"Just a minute madam. I don't think you have the grounds to give me that kind of attitude. Now, I suggest you let me take him with me, or else I won't be a good little girl and I won't go with you. What do you think of that," she eyed her nametag, "Dolores?"  
  
The short stumpy nurse looked very taken back. Apparently she didn't expect that this little blondie would defy her. Since she figured attitude wouldn't win this fight, she tried reasoning with her.  
  
"Well Miss, you don't have to give ME an attitude. I only follow orders I'm given. Apparently, the doctor has to do some examinations and he has to wait outside for that time."  
  
"Well you could have just said that in the first place ma'am. You're the one that started with me. And fine, I'll go with you." She looked back at Quatre And meekly smiled. "I'll see you in a little bit, ok?" "Ok." He held her hand until he she walked away.  
  
****  
  
When Quatre had watched Dorothy being guided away, he longed to get up and go with her. To just go comfort her, and to be with her, to somehow take her pain away. He wanted nothing more than to see her happy, to help her. But, at the moment he was forced to wait here before he go and join her once again. So, he took a magazine off the rack and nervously skimmed through it. He was barely paying attention to what he was looking at; he didn't even know what the magazine was about because he was going through it so fast. When he had reached the end and still had no idea what it was about, he thrust it at the table and picked up another one. His mind was on thinking how Dorothy mouthed off to the nurse. It made him smile. It reassured him the she was the same Dorothy he knew and love. He only bothered to jerk his head up when an old lady said something to him, but he didn't catch it.  
  
"Sorry, what did you say?"  
  
"I said that you're reading that magazine upside down, sir."  
  
Realizing his mistake, Quatre blushed slightly and said, "Oh, uh thank you madam." After saying that, he put the magazine on the table and crossed his arms while waiting silently. What seemed like forever finally past and Quatre saw the same nurse.  
  
"Mr. Winner? Miss Catalonia has requested your presence. Rather rudely requested I might add."  
  
"Thank you," he sighed while instantly got up and dashed down the corridor. He skidded to a stop as he called back, "Which room is she in?"  
  
The nurse looked very annoyed but called back, "Room 221."  
  
He gave a wave and continued striding down the semi-dark hallway. He stopped when he found the room. He opened the door and was almost blinded by the bright lights streaming from the room. Quatre was instantly relieved when he found Dorothy waiting for him in a chair. He instantly took the chair beside her gave her a small kiss.  
  
"Hey, how are you? Are you ok?"  
  
"I think I should be asking you that question," Dorothy chuckled.  
  
"Well, now that both of you are here, would you like me to tell you about the disease you have, Miss Catalonia?" asked the doctor, rather impatiently.  
  
"Oh, yes. Please, go ahead."  
  
"Alright. Now, according to my information, you have visited Guatemala once when you were six years old, correct?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"And while you were there, you didn't receive a blood transfusion, correct?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"But while you were there, you did spend time sleeping in an adobe hut, right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did you see any insects that looked like this?" he asked as he held up a picture of a brown black beetle.  
  
"Yes, I think I did."  
  
"Then I can only conclude that you were bitten by the Triatoma protracta. It's classified as the Western Conenose, or more commonly known as the kissing bug. It is a species of assassin bug that dwells in South and Central America. It bites its victim on the mouth, eyelids, or ears while they are sleeping. Unfortunately, while they feed on blood, they leave their feces on the victim, and the victim can unconsciously rub them into the bite. That can transmit the disease. The only other way to contract it is through infected blood. Since you have never had a blood transfusion, then this insect must have bitten you. I wonder why you did not develop acute stages of the disease since you were young while you caught it. It usually leads to swelling of the brain in young children, but that didn't happen in your case. The chronic stage of this disease occurs ten to twenty years after the infection. I must tell you, that for this stage of the disease, there is no medicine or cure."  
  
All of this hit Dorothy like a ton of bricks. Her grip on Quatre's hand tightened. "No cure?"  
  
"No. The only treatment is to manage the symptoms. And Miss Catalonia, you will need a heart transplant. These are the most serious symptoms, cardiac problems."  
  
"But, will I die from this?" she questioned unsteadily.  
  
He let out a long sigh. "I'm afraid that I can't give you a definite answer. But I can say that it is a distinct possibility. Other symptoms associated with the chronic stage of this virus include enlarged parts of the digestive system, so we have to be careful and watch out for that. I don't recommend any strenuous travel, and one other thing."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I sorry to say, but you can never have any children. If you did, you would pass the disease onto them, and it is fatal for infants. It can lead to swelling of the brain."  
  
This was a very painful hit on Dorothy. How she had always wanted to start a family, with Quatre. But that dream was dashed, destroyed. Quatre squeezed her hand harder when he saw the look of despair creep over her face. He decided to speak up.  
  
"You will be able to find her a heart transplant, won't you?"  
  
"Yes, I'm confident that we can. But, like with most things, it will take some time. So I recommend, Miss Catalonia, that you rest until we do. Don't do anything strenuous, get plenty of rest and take it easy. If you should have any violent chest pains or anything else like that, come back and see us."  
  
"Thank you doctor," she said with her voice quivering. "If that's all, I would like to leave now."  
  
"Yes, you can go. Have a nice day."  
  
'Why do they always say that when they know perfectly well that I won't,' she thought bitterly. But, she put on her best fake polite smile and walked out the door, still holding Quatre's hand. He immediately grew concerned as he saw how depressed she looked. It just broke his heart hearing all that back in the office. He knew very well that one day she would d to start a family, but now that was out the question. He let go of her hand and put his arm around her drooping shoulders.  
  
"Dorothy?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"No, actually I'm not."  
  
He held her a little tighter. "Listen, I'm here for you. I'll always be here. If you want to talk about anything, just say so, I'll listen."  
  
"Can we go somewhere else and talk?"  
  
"Of course, where would you like to go?"  
  
"I really don't care, anywhere is fine."  
  
"How about the park? I heard it's really beautiful this time of year."  
  
"That's fine."  
  
Once the couple finally reached the park, they first took a little stroll. What was really spectacular was the fact that the cherry blossoms were in bloom. In an attempt to cheer Dorothy up, Quatre took her along the path with all the trees with the flowers.  
  
"Dorothy, look. The cherry blossoms are blooming. Isn't it beautiful?"  
  
"Wonderful," she said without much emotion. She had always used to love to see the cherry blossoms, but somehow now she was seeing them with a little different perspective. She was thinking how this could be the last time she'd ever see them. She also remembered to when her father took her to see them every year when she was little. He always caught one and put it in her hair. But that was before he died when she was almost 7. The day before her birthday was when his shuttle exploded. She had even watched it on TV as it shattered all of her young life. Remembering all of this, she felt a hot tear force its way down her cheek.  
  
"Dorothy?" Quatre asked concerned as he saw her starting to cry. He was worried that he did something to upset her.  
  
"Can we go sit down? We can talk once I sit down."  
  
"Ok."  
  
So, as they walked down the path, they soon found a park bench. Upon that, they sat and for a moment all was silent. That is until Dorothy broke the silence first.  
  
"It was so hard to listen to all of that. I don't know if I've even processed it all yet." She kept looking forward out to the horizon. With her sunglasses on, her eyes were shielded. She sighed. "And then I start thinking. My life goes flashing in front of my eyes. I see all the things I did, the good and bad, and the bad seems to pop up more than the good."  
  
"Dorothy, please don't."  
  
"Wait, let me finished." He closed his mouth and listened. "You see, I know it partially wasn't my fault, and then again it partially was. I wasn't really a good person for long time. Being raised by my grandfather, and being taught to love war, I suppose accounts for something. But I don't blame my actions solely on that. I had, choices, a free will, and I used them the wrong way. I take responsibility for everything I did during the war. And I know you do too."  
  
"Dorothy?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I don't think you should blame yourself. Like I told you, you are kind, kinder than I am. You were just afraid of kindness. But you've embraced it. You've grown to be such a wonderful person."  
  
She was silent for a moment, before she said "Thank you. But there's something I want to ask you. Well, more of choice type thing."  
  
He looked confused. What could she mean? "Alright, what is it?"  
  
"Well there is something we need to discuss. As you know, I can't have children. If I did, then the baby would certainly die."  
  
Quatre was so pained hearing this again. He knew how much it hurt her too. But she was right, they had to discuss it. "Yes Dorothy, I know we can't have kids."  
  
"And I know you wanted to start a family just as much as I did.."  
  
"Yes, I know we can't do that now.."  
  
"Well that's the thing. I said I can't have children, but you still can. This illness is a terrible burden to you, and it isn't fair that you should have to deal with this, so I'm giving you an option." She turned to face him. "If you want, stay, but only if you want to. If you want to leave, I won't stop you, I'll understand. If you want to meet someone else and start a family with her, I'll be happy for you. You don't have to give up having a family for me." She turned away and looked straight ahead again. "If you want to leave, you can do so. Just do it now."  
  
Quatre was sitting next to her gawking. A small tear slid down his face. He was in disbelief from what he heard. Leave her? Start a family with someone else? No, how could she even say that? She was all he ever wanted, only her. He loved her so much, and her being sick didn't change that one bit. He turned his head to stare at his feet. Then he put his head in his hands as he started to cry.  
  
"Please, tell me you didn't just say that."  
  
"Quatre?" she put a hand on his shoulder. She took off her sunglasses and put them away. "Quatre, please. Don't cry. I was only being considerate of you, to try to think of what you wanted.."  
  
Quatre lifted his head to look into her eyes. He stared into those soft misty blue for a moment with his teary blue-green eyes. Then, in the next instant, he grabbed her and held her so tightly that they both could barely breath. He released her a little to be able to plant a deep passionate kiss upon her beautiful lips. He then took one hand and put it to her face. Shakily, he started to speak.  
  
"Dorothy, forgive me but are you insane? How could you ever think I would want to leave you?"  
  
"Well, Quatre, I was only thinking of what you wanted.."  
  
"No, NO!" He took her head in his hands, "Please, please don't say that. I don't want anything else except you, do you understand? I love you, Dorothy. I love you so much, and just because you're sick, it doesn't change a thing. I don't want a family with someone else if I couldn't be with you. I'd die without you, do you understand?"  
  
She was speechless. She couldn't even imagine that he'd be this upset. That was the last thing she wanted to do. "Quatre, please, calm down. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I was only being fair to you." She turned her head away and mumbled to herself. "Maybe it'd be better if I was dead."  
  
Quatre hoped he didn't what he thought he heard. "What did you say?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"You said something, but I couldn't make it out. Please, what did you say?"  
  
"I was only mumbling to myself, thinking out loud. Really, that's nothing to get upset about."  
  
"But," Quatre stopped on his breath for a moment. "I thought I heard you say something about it being better if you were dead. Please tell me I didn't hear you say that."  
  
"So what if I said that! You don't have to make a big deal about it."  
  
Again, he was gawking at her. "Dorothy, I hope you didn't mean that."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
He was starting to sob. "Did you mean what you said, that you wanted to die?"  
  
"Well," she looked down, " well I don't even know anymore. What's the point, when I'm going to die anyway?!"  
  
He held her in a tight embrace. His arms were trembling. His whole body was shuddering with fear. A deep fear that pierced his heart and blackened his soul. "Please, don't talk like that."  
  
"I just don't know what I'm doing. I just never expected this. I mean, it's so much at once. First, I have a disease, then I need a heart transplant, then I can't have children, then there's no cure for it and I could die, and. and. I . I.," She buried her face in his sleeve and wept. He held her close to him and stroked her hair. The only thing he wanted to do right now was take away her pain. Take away this terrible disease that stole so much away from her. They loosened their grip on each other enough so Quatre could wipe the tears away from her eyes.  
  
"Dorothy, I know this is a lot to deal with, but you don't have to deal with it alone. Please, remember that I'm here, I'm always here for you. I'll stay with you and never leave you, never. You are my life, nothing else matters to me. You are my whole world. I love you, more than anything. never forget that."  
  
"I love you too, Quatre," she sobbed, "I don't know what I'd do without you. You are my love." she paused. "I.I.wanted to say.thank you, for everything. Hey," she motioned to the dusky sky, "It's getting dark. Wanna take me home now?  
  
He smiled as they stood up and put their arms around each other. "You don't need to tell me twice." 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing so please don't sue me! You don't want my dust pile, trust me.  
  
Author's Note: I've gotten this far, and I like how this is heading. I have big plans for the rest of the story, but read and review this first please! Thank you, enjoy.  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part III  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
'What can I do now?' Quatre thought frantically as he looked in on Dorothy sleeping. 'How can I help her? What power do I have?' For the past two weeks, these kinds of thoughts were all Quatre could think about. Dorothy was living with him, just like she had been for several months, but now she was so weak she could barely get out of bed. This disease seemed to be sapping all of her strength. Her face had grown much paler than usual, and it was never that dark to begin with. She seemed to get thinner and more fragile every day. She had refused to eat one day, until Quatre begged her and begged her until she finally ate some soup. It hurt him so much to watch her almost fade away right before his eyes. He constantly called the hospital and ordered them to double-check everything it see if they had heart for her yet. He also pleaded to take her in because she was so weak, but they insisted to keep her home unless of an emergency. So he cursed at them, hung up, and worried some more. Worry, worry, that's all he ever did. Sure, he was a worrywart from the very start, but now, this whole situation was putting him at his wits end. But now, he had to bring Dorothy her lunch. So he picked up the heavy tray and headed down the hallway. The tray was so heavy because not only was her lunch on it, but something else also. Something special, and heavy, just for her. He finally reached her room, and knocked softly on the door.  
  
"Dorothy?" he called ever so gently.  
  
"Yes?" a weak and muffled voice called back.  
  
"I have your lunch, can I come in?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
With that, he cautiously opened the door to see Dorothy in the bed, looked very exhausted. All of the remaining color in her cheeks seemed to have been drained. But when she opened her light crystal blue eyes, he felt an internal sigh of relief. In them, he saw great purity and love. Without another word, he approached her and set the tray down on the table. He then pulled up a chair for himself.  
  
"So, are you feeling any better today?" he asked earnestly.  
  
"I am now that you're here," she said with a small smile. Quatre instantly felt a great weight lifted off his chest at this.  
  
"Well, now, what's for lunch?"  
  
"I made your favorite, baked salmon stakes with a side of mixed vegetables."  
  
"You made?" she teased playfully.  
  
He blushed. "Ok, so the cook made it. But I helped, a little," he laughed.  
  
She giggled. "I don't care who made it, as long as I get to eat it."  
  
He felt much better upon hearing this. She certainly seemed to be in better spirits than usual. Her mood and disposition had definitely improved if nothing else. "Alright, now sit up so you can eat."  
  
"Will you help me up?"  
  
"Why wouldn't I?" So he took her hands and helped to pull her up. But he didn't account for how hard he was pulling, and she went up, and fell straight into his arms. Ok, so maybe he didn't mind that part, as they were both laughing as they were in that position. Soon she stopped laughing and looked at him more seriously, and he was looking at her the same way, with a kind of hidden passion awakened. He started to pull away when she held onto him tighter.  
  
"No, just hold me a little while longer."  
  
"Dorothy?"  
  
"Shhhh, don't question. Some moments don't need words."  
  
They were hushed for a while before Dorothy finally broke the silence with a few piercing words.  
  
"Quatre, I think I'm going to die."  
  
These words stabbed him like a hot dagger. His shaky voice uttered "What?"  
  
"Just what I said. I think you know it too." "N-no Dorothy. You aren't going to die. I won't let it happen."  
  
"Well," she turned to stare out the window, "I don't think there's really anything either of us can do."  
  
"I'm doing everything I can. As soon as they find you a heart transplant."  
  
"And what if they don't? What if they can't, or I die first or something? Maybe that'd be for the best for everyone."  
  
Quatre did his best to keep from bursting into tears, for her sake. He looked her straight in the eye. "Why?"  
  
"Why what?"  
  
"Why are you talking like this?"  
  
"Well can you really blame me? I'm so tired, I feel helpless, my nerves are shot, I can't take it! I wish I could just go out and do something, like go to movies, or the store, like I used to."  
  
"Dorothy."  
  
"I mean, what if you were in this situation, would you still be hopeful?"  
  
"Well, that's hard to say."  
  
"Exactly, you would probably feel the same way. Anyway, I've got to get up. If I sit around in this bed any longer, I'm going to go crazy."  
  
"Well, are you sure you want to..I mean, shouldn't you get your rest?"  
  
"Trust me, if I stay stationary much longer, I think I'm going to go crazy." she held out her arms, "Would you mind helping me up?"  
  
"Of course I will." He got up from sitting on her bed and grabbed her hands. "Ready; on three. One, two, three." On three he pulled her up and into his arms. "There, that wasn't so bad."  
  
"Why no," she stroked his face. "It wasn't bad at all."  
  
He smiled at her and gave her a kiss.  
  
She got teary eyed. "I just keep thinking that this'll be the last time that I ever hold you and touch you and feel your love."  
  
He put a finger over her lips. "It won't be. I promise you, you will feel my love for a long time.  
  
"Quatre, I want to say something. You see I-,"  
  
"Master Quatre, there is someone here to see you." Rashid was at the door.  
  
"Tell them to come back later."  
  
"They say that it's very important they see you."  
  
Quatre groaned, but then turned to Dorothy. "I won't be long. Just let me deal with this and I'll come right back. I promise."  
  
"Alright, I'll get dressed."  
  
"Just be careful, darling. I don't want to find you passed out on the floor."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be alright."  
  
Quatre gave her a quick kiss and squeeze and then went out of the room and down the hallway with his servant Rashid. He had to walk through a lot of winding hallways through his mansion until he reached the front lobby where this person was waiting. The person was sitting on a chair, facing the other direction. And yet, she looked familiar. When Quatre realized who it was, his eyes widened. But he quickly put on a professional face as he turned to Rashid.  
  
"Thank you, Rashid. You may go, I can handle it from here."  
  
"Yes, Master Quatre."  
  
The tall man left as the platinum golden haired one started to make his way across the room. He stalked like a cat, not making any sound. As he approached the chair, he cleared his throat loudly. The woman in the chair jumped up and looked him over. She put her hands on her hips and gave a grin. He merely nodded curtly toward her.  
  
"Quatre Rababa Winner. Well you haven't changed."  
  
"Sera."  
  
She held out her arms. He didn't move. "Well?"  
  
"Well what?"  
  
"You're not going to give me a hug?"  
  
"No. I don't even want to touch you."  
  
She flicked her shoulder length brown hair. "Oh don't tell me you're still mad at me?"  
  
Seeing her again brought back so many bad memories. She was his old girlfriend. Well, actually old fiancé. They had been very much in love. Or rather, he had been in love with her and she had been in love with his money, and one of his servants. He had caught her stealing money from his account and putting it into hers, and then she slept with one of his servants when he threatened to tell. Quatre's eyes remained rocklike.  
  
"Well Sera I think I have well enough reason to still be upset with you. You broke my heart after all."  
  
"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"  
  
"Say it as much as you like, but I'll never forgive you."  
  
She sighed, rather melodramatically, and made a little pout face before she said.  
  
"Well the reason I came here is to try to make peace with. You know, to sort of put the past behind us, no hard feelings?" she stuck out her hand and Quatre backed away from it. The resentment showed on her face. But then, the resentment turned to a sly type of look. "Besides Quatre, I know."  
  
He eyed her suspiciously. "You know what?"  
  
"Well, how about this. I'll give you a hint and you can see if you get it right."  
  
"Sera, I am not in the mood for your games."  
  
"Just play along. I'll say one word, and you should understand what I know about." Quatre had turned around, not wanting to hear her. She grinned and said "Chagus."  
  
Quatre nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned around to face her. That was Dorothy's disease, chagus disease. He stared at her long and hard. "How did you find out about that?"  
  
She clapped her hands together looking very pleased with herself. "Aha! So now we're getting somewhere. I knew this would interest you."  
  
Quatre shot her a look that could kill. "I don't have time for your sick games," he growled, "now tell me, how did you find that out?"  
  
"Oh, but I'm not done yet," she smirked as she started pacing around him. "I have yet another word clue to give you. Well actually it's only two letters. D, and C."  
  
Quatre reared his head back. D.C. Dorothy Catalonia. Where and how did she find all of this out? Seeing the look of shock and anger spread across his face, she smiled and said,  
  
"Oh ho, so you are interested. You are curious as to what I know."  
  
Before he could answer she spoke again. "I have a two word clue now. Love, and death."  
  
Upon hearing this, Quatre lost his control and grabbed Sera by the arms, pinning them to her side, stared into her eyes with malice, and growled at her.  
  
"Listen, you two timing backstabbing bitch. It's bad enough what you did to me, but if you do a thing to Dorothy I swear I'll rip your spine out!"  
  
Strangely enough, Sera looked quite pleased with herself, knowing she'd gotten to him, and henceforth won the game she was playing with him. "Why Quatre, you said you didn't even want to touch me, and yet you have." He released her. "Yes, I know about your "love" Dorothy and how she had Chagus disease which could be fatal. And do you know how I know? Because she's my cousin, so I heard it through the grapevine."  
  
Quatre was a bit taken back. Cousin? Sera was Dorothy's cousin? Dorothy had never mentioned that she even knew Sera. "But.how.why didn't she."  
  
"You mean why didn't she ever mention me?"  
  
Quatre, not realizing she was winning, nodded. "Well the two of us have never gotten along, so it's no wonder she never mentioned she even knew me. But, I find it a little amusing. That after breaking our engagement you would fall in love with my cousin." She looked a bit angry about this.  
  
"Wait a minute, I did break the engagement, because you never loved me. Or don't you remember? You were only after my money, and when one of my servants found and threatened to tell me, you persuaded him not to by doing sexual favors for him. And don't deny that, I caught you two in the act. So don't be upset with me about breaking our engagement, when it was your fault."  
  
"It was not my fault!" She screamed, "I was going to have the perfect life. A rich husband, a mansion, everything I wanted. It didn't matter that I really didn't love you, you stole my dream from me!"  
  
"Well excuse me for wanting to marry someone who loves me, not just my money!"  
  
"You know what," she put her head in her hand, "maybe I should just leave."  
  
"Good, leave! I never wanted you here in the first place!"  
  
"Fine, goodbye." She started to turn when she stopped on her heel. "Look, I'm sorry. Let's just shake hands and call a truce."  
  
Quatre was very apprehensive, but decided that if it would get her out he should do it. "Alright, truce."  
  
He stuck out his hand and grasped hers. They look at each other for a second. Then, she used her other hand to give him a sharp punch in the nose. Quatre staggered back, clutching his nose. When his attention wasn't on her, Sera whipped out a hypodermic needle filled with a blue liquid. She ran up behind him and stuck the needle in his arm. He pushed her off of him and tried to run away. But whatever was in that needle was making him woozy. Everything was going black. Then, he fell to the floor and passed out.  
  
Author's Note: Quite the cliffhanger, huh? I'll post more as I finish it, but please give me your feedback, I'll listen to just about anything! 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, only the twisted plot ideas.  
  
Author's Notes: To those who reviewed this story(coughs, Quintia, that's about it, coughs) I extend by boundless gratitude. I don't know if people like this story, but I'll keep posting it because it's my really big story, so I'll update it even if only one person reviews it, it's enough for me. Again, to Quintia, this is for you. To everyone else, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!! I really appreciate any and all feedback.  
  
  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part IV  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
Sera stalked around the face down fallen body of Quatre. She looked very pleased with herself, like a lioness that had caught her prey. Quickly thinking, she lifted his head up, pulled out a rag from her purse and wiped the bloody nose she had given him from his face, and on the floor. Next, with great difficulty, she hoisted up his body on her shoulders and dragged him off to a hidden room. A room in the mansion that even Quatre himself didn't know about. She snickered to herself as she dragged his unconscious body.  
  
"Heh heh heh, I've got you now, Quatre. Yes sir, I got ya this time, heh heh. You thought ending our engagement would put me out of the picture, well you were wrong, Mr. Winner. I may not get my rich husband and wonderful life that you stole.or maybe I can, some way or another, you bet I will." She touched a panel, and it opened to reveal another hallway. The door closed behind her. The hallway was dark and dank and reeked mold and mildew. There were many doors along the corridor. But Sera knew which one she wanted. She opened the third door on the left to enter a nicely furnished room with pullout bed in a couch. Sera heaved him up off of her shoulders and laid him down on the bed. She scrounged for her purse again. Besides the discarded needle she injected him with already, she found what she was looking for. She took out some pills, threw her bag aside, and went on the bed on top of him. She lifted his head up and shoved the pills down his throat. Again, she laughed to herself.  
  
"Well, I think that should do that trick. I mean I know he'll be unconscious but I did give him enough viagra to make a dead man walk. But just in case," She found some old rope and tied him up with the rope. She started to slip off her dress. "I will get what I want."  
  
****  
  
Dorothy had already gotten dressed and was waiting for Quatre to return. She sat on her bed; she had eaten her food and was waiting for him now. She assumed it was a business call to see him, since that's what it usually was. She put her knee length blonde hair in a low bun, and for the first time in awhile, she looked decent, at least she thought so. Just then the phone rang. Dorothy let it ring twice, and since no one got it, she picked it up herself.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
It was the doctor on the other line. He was giving her some information. Dorothy's eyes widened when she heard it.  
  
"Are you sure?" she asked nervously.  
  
The doctor was sure. She took down everything he said with a pen. Then she hung up. She decided now she had to find Quatre. She wanted to talk to him. She got up from her chair, swaying a little, and made her way to the door. She walked down the long hallways calling out.  
  
"Quatre? Quatre, where are you?"  
  
She received no answer, so she called out for someone else. "Rashid!"  
  
Instantly the tall man was at her side.  
  
"Yes Miss Dorothy?"  
  
"Have you seen Quatre? The doctor called me and told me they think they found me a heart transplant." Dorothy said this, but seemed somewhat troubled.  
  
"That's wonderful Miss Dorothy! Well I led Master Quatre out to the front lobby to meet the woman who was here."  
  
Dorothy stopped dead in her tracks. "A woman? A woman came to see him? Well, did she look like she was from his company?"  
  
"Well I guess she could have been. I really couldn't tell though. She was dressed somewhat properly."  
  
"I see."Dorothy trailed off. She started walking again to the front lobby. But when she got there, it was empty. No one was there. She was instantly filled with fear. "Quatre?" she called yet again. No answer. "RASHID!"  
  
He came running. "What's wrong Miss Dorothy?"  
  
"Quatre's not here! He wouldn't leave without telling me, what if something happened? What if that woman took him, what if she had a gun?! Oh god, no." Dorothy sat down as she clenched her chest. "Oh geez, my heart can't take this."  
  
Rashid was rubbing her shoulders trying to calm her down. "Please Miss Dorothy, you must calm down. You can't get worked up like this, you have a weak heart and you can't risk your health."  
  
She sighed. "Alright, I'll calm down. But where is he? I know he would have told me if he had to leave. Something happened, I know it. I just know it. I feel it in my gut. I-," she stopped as she saw something on the floor. "What the." she got down on the floor and wiped something up with her finger. She gasped. "Blood?! Oh my God, oh my god, I knew something happened. QUATRE!!! Where the hell are you?" she started running through the hallways screaming. "QUATRE! QUATRE!" She felt so lightheaded that she had to rest. She leaned back against the wall. Suddenly, she fell through the door that opened behind her. She tumbled backwards into a dank corridor with many doors. She brushed herself off and stood up. Then she noticed the weapons lining the wall. She decided to take the foil, since she was a master fencer, and she could use it if necessary. Both hands grasping the rapier, she started down the hallway. When she got to the first door, she flung it open..but there was nothing but a stonewall behind it. She went across the corridor to the next door, but it was only stonewall as well.  
  
"What is this, why would they do.." Then, she thought of something. Perhaps all these fake doors were meant to hide the real room among them, to discourage people from finding it. Well, she certainly wasn't going to leave here without searching everything. Suddenly, she heard a muffled voice  
  
"Hehehe, Oh yes, yes yes yes!!"  
  
"Huh? Who the hell is that?" It sounded someone like laughing and saying oh yes, but she couldn't be sure. All she could tell was it was a female voice. She crept down the hallway to where she thought the voice was coming from. She found the door. She slowly turned the knob, but the door was locked. She put her eat against the door to listen. She thought she heard someone moaning. "What the."she whispered. She took her rapier and started picking the lock. Once the lock clicked, she kicked the door open. Her jaw dropped at what she saw. It was her cousin Sera and Quatre lying on a pullout bed. They were both totally naked under the covers.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Dorothy shrieked. Sera looked up from on top of him. She got off the bed and wrapped a sheet around herself. It was then Dorothy noticed that Quatre was unconscious, and his arms were loosely tied up. She raised her rapier toward Sera as she approached Quatre. "Stay back, don't move, or I'll run this through your non-existent heart."  
  
"Easy Dorothy," Sera looked obviously disturbed that she had a sword.  
  
"Shut up!" Dorothy moved quickly toward Quatre. "Quatre, Quatre!" She tried to shake him awake. "Quatre! Oh god." she found the red swollen mark where Sera had injected him with the needle. "What the hell did you do to him, you bitch?!"  
  
Sera had now gotten her clothes back on and stood looking very pleased with herself. "I gave a tranquilizer that would knock out an elephant. That's the red mark. Then I gave him enough viagra to make a dead man walk." She smirked. "Now I'm sure I have what I want."  
  
"Y-y-you didn't.."  
  
"Oh but I did. And he was pretty good in bed despite the fact he was unconscious."  
  
Dorothy gripped her rapier so hard her knuckles started to turn white. "How dare you." she said quietly. Then she lifted her head to face her. "HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO HIM!! I LOVE HIM! MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD, AND YOU RAPED HIM!!!"  
  
Sera nodded. "Yes, I did. But it was only to get what I wanted. I'm sure he told you about how he broke our engagement because he found out I only wanted his money. Well, he deprived me of my dream life being rich. So now," She put her hand on her abdomen, "I have an heir to the Winner Corporation. And henceforth, if Quatre happens to die, then my heir will take over, and I'll get the life I wanted."  
  
Dorothy shoved her rapier toward Sera's neck, but stopped just before the point touched it. Tears were streaming out of her eyes. "I wouldn't count on that if I were you. You see, your plan has more that a few flaws. Number 1: You might not even be pregnant. And Number 2: Even if you are pregnant you're not having that baby if you have a miscarriage. And I'd be more that happy to give you one. Or would you like me to kill you now?  
  
Sera looked completely unfazed. "Go ahead Dorothy, kill me. Go right ahead. And then," she started moving around her, "when they find my dead body, and you with the bloody rapier, who do you think they'll convict? You. Yes my friend, kill me and you'll be straight off to jail. And then I don't think they'll care whether or not you get that heart transplant of yours. After all, criminals are last on the list to get heart transplants, are they not? So, Dorothy," she stopped right in front of her, "make your choice."  
  
Dorothy held the rapier up to her neck. She was fighting the urge to jam it through her neck. But, she knew she shouldn't. She sighed, but didn't bring her rapier down.  
  
"Rashid!" she yelled without taking her eyes off of Sera. Rashid, who had been looking for Dorothy for a while, soon found his way to where they were.  
  
"Miss Dorothy, what happened, I was looking everywhere and .oh dear lord, Master Quatre!" He ran to the unconscious man on the bed. Quatre had always been like a son to him. "Miss Dorothy, what-,"  
  
"Rashid, please restrain this woman." She had to use every ounce of control in her body to not scream or stab her. "Call the police and tell them this woman has committed rape. She drugged Quatre and proceeded with the act. I witnessed part of it if the police want a witness." She was staring down at the floor all the while she was talking. "In her purse you should find the needle and viagra case she used. Please call the police and see that she doesn't get away. Call an ambulance for Quatre." Rashid restrained her and nodded. As he was turning out the door, Dorothy called out another thing.  
  
"And see that she has a pregnancy test."  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
"You can't keep me in jail Dorothy," Sera growled, "sooner or later they'll let me out and I'll come back. I'll be back for you!" Rashid put his hand on her neck, and using a pressure point, she passed out. He carried her out to go call the police. Dorothy let her rapier fall clashing to the floor. Then, she went falling to the floor with it. She clutched her chest as she rapidly breathed in and out. She shut her eyes for a moment to calm herself. She managed to stand up again, and looked at Quatre, drugged and unconscious on the bed. She moved over to him and kneeled down alongside the bed. She was fighting tears, but surely enough they were leaking out of her eyes and spilling onto his body. Crying, she put her head on his bare chest and held him, stroking his hair. She lifted her head to gaze into his face.  
  
"Aishiteru, Quatre Rababa Winner. I love you, I love you, I love yoooou.." she buried her head in the mattress and let out her tears while holding his hand to her face. Then, she heard him groan. She perked her head up and held his hand. "Quatre? Quatre, darling can you hear me?"  
  
"Uhh.what, when, who.uhhhh." he groaned. He was obviously delusional.  
  
"Quatre, it's me, Dorothy! Please, can you hear me? Answer me, talk to me, say something!"  
  
"Uhh..who are you, what do you want with me, uhhh."  
  
"Quatre, its Dorothy, please, talk to me." she pleaded.  
  
He started screaming in pain, though his eyes would barely open. "STOP! Don't do that! I hate you get away!!"  
  
She held his hand tighter, her worry growing more by the second. He looked feverish. He might have had a drug interaction with the things Sera used. Or he could be allergic to that tranquilizer, she thought. She knew he was allergic to many medications.  
  
"Quatre, please calm down. The ambulance is coming. You'll be fine.  
  
"Get back! Don't come any closer!!"  
  
"Shhh, it's ok, I'm here. Just please, try to-,"  
  
She had to release his hand and duck as the other one nearly hit her.  
  
"I said get away! Stop hurting me!!" He tried to get up but fell back down. Dorothy watched him, crying. He's delirious; he doesn't mean what he's saying to you. She clutched her chest.  
  
"Rashid! Please get an ambulance, Quatre's delirious!"  
  
She moved toward him again. She looked at his arm where he was injected. It was very red and even more swollen. She held his hand again, but he wrenched it free. He flailed his arms around and screamed again. She tried to hold his hand again but this time he slapped her.  
  
"Get away! Stop hurting me!!"  
  
Dorothy was lying on the floor, one hand holding her chest, the other holding her face where he had slapped her. He doesn't know what he's doing. It's the drugs; it's the drugs. She didn't get up again. She knew if she tried to help him she'd only either hurt him or hurt herself. She just lied crying on the floor.  
  
"I love you Quatre," she shouted at him while he screamed in pain.  
  
She looked up to see the paramedics come in. They brought in a stretcher and started to put Quatre on it. One of them went to Dorothy.  
  
"Miss, miss, are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine, just take care of him, he's delirious."  
  
"Please, Miss, I'll help you up." He pulled Dorothy to her feet. He noticed that she had a mark on her face and was holding her chest. "Miss, are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, I told you I'm fine. I just have a heart condition but it will soon be resolved, I'm getting a transplant. I got slapped when I was trying to calm him down, but he doesn't know what he's doing, he's been drugged. Now go help him!"  
  
"Yes, miss."  
  
Dorothy watched as they struggled to get him on the stretcher. Then she heard one of them say, "Give him a sedative."  
  
"NO!" she screamed at them. "He's been drugged enough, and he might be having an allergic reaction. Don't give him that it could kill him!!!"  
  
"Alright miss, alright."  
  
"I'm coming in the ambulance with you."  
  
"Uh, miss I think you should stay here. It would probably be safest for you here."  
  
"Don't tell me what's safe for me. I don't give a damn about myself right now! I'm going with you to see that he's all right! Now don't just stand there, let's go!" She motioned and the paramedics rushed the stretcher toward the front door. Dorothy followed them, though she was panting and holding her chest. She ran, trying to keep up with them, and though her heart felt like it was going to quit on her, she didn't care. The only thing that mattered to her right now was Quatre. She was so scared about what could happen to him. For all she knew Sera could have given him drugs that would kill him. As they reached the front door, they dashed to the ambulance. Dorothy just about made it to the ambulance when she climbed up and they pulled off. She panted and tried to catch her breath. She looked over at Quatre, stilling screaming, trying to break free.  
  
"Get away from me! Stop hurting me!"  
  
In tears, Dorothy touched his face. He stopped flailing and trying to break free. Two of her tears fell on his forehead.  
  
"I can't bear to see him like this," she looked at the paramedics, "Isn't there something you can do?!"  
  
"We're keeping him stabilized until we get him to the hospital. He's very allergic to that tranquilizer that woman gave him. And it interacted with that batch of poison viagra she gave him."  
  
Dorothy looked horrified. "Poison? They were poisoned?!"  
  
"Apparently so."  
  
"Oh my god." she looked at him, and he was still yelling in pain. "I should have checked on him sooner. If I went to look for him sooner, she never would have gotten to him."  
  
"Now Miss, I don't think there was anything you could have done. From the description of her that I heard, and you saying you had a heart condition, then my guess would be she would have killed both of you. It's better you found him. If you didn't, then I'm sure he would have died."  
  
Even the paramedic's words couldn't comfort Dorothy. She still felt like she didn't do enough. She still thought it was all her fault. She put her head between her legs, she was feeling dizzy and lightheaded.  
  
"Miss, are you alright?"  
  
"I'm just lightheaded, it's nothing to worry about. Focus on him, not me!" Though she did feel terrible, she didn't want any medical attention to herself. She wanted it all for Quatre. No sooner had she said this she found the ambulance coming to a stop. The back door opened and the workers rushed Quatre out of it. Meanwhile, Dorothy was still sitting in the ambulance. She slowly got out and walked into the emergency room. She was still panting and walked up to the receptionist.  
  
"Where is Quatre Winner?"  
  
"He's in the operating room right now."  
  
"What are they doing to him?"  
  
"Well he needs his stomach pumped, then they have to administer intervenes medication. So far he's still in there. The doctor will come out and notify you when he gets put in a room."  
  
"Thank you," she breathed as she sat down next to a mother and boy. She put her head between her legs again and tried to catch her breath. She knew she had to get her heart rate steady and catch her breath. But she was just so worried about Quatre. If he died..no, she couldn't handle thinking about that. If he lived, but he had brain damage or something, would he even recognize her? She wiped away her teary eyes, closed them and tried to calm herself down. She couldn't help but overhear what the people next to her were saying.  
  
"Mommy, is daddy going to be alright?"  
  
"Yes sweetie, he's going to be fine. Don't you worry."  
  
"I hope so." The little boy started to cry. The mother held him. Then he looked at Dorothy.  
  
"Hey lady"  
  
She looked at him and tried to smile. "Yes?"  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
Dorothy actually did smile. He was just so cute. "My name's Dorothy. What's your name?"  
  
"My name is Taylor Johnson. What's your last name?"  
  
"Catalonia."  
  
"So you're Dorothy Catalonia, right?"  
  
"Yes, that's right.." She felt very good. Well she really felt like she was going to pass out, but she felt happy that she could take this little boy's mind off his pain.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"I'm waiting here because my boyfriend is in there."  
  
"What happened to him?"  
  
"Well, it's a long story, but what happened was a very mean woman drugged him, and he was allergic to the bad drugs she gave him. So he's in there to get the bad drugs out of his system."  
  
"That's too bad, I hope he gets better."  
  
"Thank you. Why are you here?"  
  
"My daddy's in there, he was in a car crash."  
  
"I'm sorry, I hope he gets better."  
  
"Thanks Dorothy. "He sat on her lap. "Can I call you Dorothy?"  
  
She smiled. "Of course you can call me Dorothy." The good thing was, talking to this little boy helped her to calm down. Her heart wasn't racing anymore and she wasn't out of breath. She looked across at his mother, who gave a smile and mouthed 'thank you' to her. She mouthed back 'your welcome'.  
  
"Hey, how old are you?"  
  
She laughed. "I'm 20. How old are you?"  
  
"I'm 6, almost 7. Then I'll be a big boy."  
  
"Oh yes, you'll be a very big boy."  
  
"I'm gonna go over there and play with those toys, ok mommy?"  
  
"Sure, sweetie." she said. Once the boy had run across the room, the mother turned to Dorothy. "Thank you for talking to Taylor, I hope he didn't bother you."  
  
"Oh not at all ma'am. In fact I should thank him, he helped take my mind off lots of things."  
  
"I couldn't help hearing what you told him, and I know you must have censored something. Thank you for making it appropriate for him. But what did happen?"  
  
"Well, my boyfriend's ex-fiancé came to our house, and he met with her, and she punched him in the nose to put him off guard and injected him with a very strong tranquilizer. And you see, he was allergic to it." she decided to stop there, feeling it wasn't right to tell her the rest.  
  
"Oh I'm so sorry dear. Say no more. My husband was in a car accident. He was drunk again. He's lucky he only hit a tree and not a person."  
  
"Oh I'm sorry."  
  
"It's alright. I just hope he'll be ok. And all the best to your boyfriend as well. Oh, excuse me, I have to go now." She got up as her doctor came out of the room. She looked devastated as she heard what the doctor said. She got her little boy and they walked with the doctor. All Dorothy could hear was something about 'a very serious condition.'  
  
"I'll pray for you," she whispered to herself.  
  
"Miss Catalonia?"  
  
She looked up to see her heart specialist.  
  
"Oh hello."  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"My boyfriend is in there."  
  
"Oh really? I'm sorry to hear that. But while you're here, I think you should stay overnight. Your heart transplant is set to arrive tomorrow. And unless someone else direly needs it, it'll go to you. I hope not though Dorothy. Confidentially speaking, I think you should know that you have a rare tissue type that has to match up with your exact blood type. So I hope you can get this one, it might be awhile if someone else needs it." He looked her over. "God, you look terrible. I'll have to insist you stay the night. Would you like me to take you to a room?"  
  
She shook her head, "No, not until I can see Quatre."  
  
"Quatre? That's your boyfriend? The drug victim?"  
  
She looked at him suspiciously "Yes, that's him." she instantly grew terrified. "Why, what happened? Is he ok?"  
  
"Well," he looked a little guilty. "I'm not sure. Last I heard he was pretty bad. But don't worry; I'm sure he'll be just fine. Well I have to go now, I've got another patient right now, so I'll see you later." "Th-thank you." She stuttered as he walked away. She wanted to shut out what he said, but he had filled her with doubt. What if Quatre wasn't going to be alright? She couldn't bear to think of it. She was spacing out when she heard someone call her.  
  
"Miss Catalonia?"  
  
She rushed up to him. "Yes, I'm here. How's Quatre? Is he ok? What happened to him?"  
  
"Calm down Miss Catalonia, I'll answer your questions one at a time. Quatre had a very serious allergic reaction to the tranquillizer he was given. Then, the overdose of viagra he was given was tainted with toxin, and things look pretty serious. I'm sorry to say that he's in a coma right now."  
  
She felt her heart stop beating, yet she still uttered "Coma?"  
  
"Yes. He's on life support right now."  
  
"Bu-but, when will he wake up?"  
  
He sighed. "I'm sorry, but with a coma, you can never tell. Maybe tomorrow, maybe in a few years, maybe never. I'm surprised that he's alive at all. If you hadn't brought him here when you did, I think he'd be dead by now. Those drugs really had a bad effect on him."  
  
Dorothy felt like bursting into tears, but somehow she couldn't cry, her pain was beyond tears. "C-can I see him?"  
  
"Yes, follow me."  
  
Dorothy walked what had to be the longest walk of her life. She felt all the feeling in her legs leave her, yet she kept walking. She followed the doctor into the intensive care unit. Then she heard him speak.  
  
"This is the room. Since Mr. Winner is a co-owner of this hospital, we gave him his own room."  
  
Dorothy looked in the door at the man lying on the bed, hooked up to the machine. He was so pale, and he was never dark to begin with. Her hand shaking, she put it on the doorknob.  
  
"I'll be staying in this room with him tonight. I've been asked to stay overnight by Doctor Hertanock. I trust you will let me."  
  
He hesitated, but the doctor nodded. "Alright, you can stay in here with him, but only for tonight."  
  
"I will stay with him until he gets out of here." She said without looking at him. She opened and closed the door very swiftly. The doctor shook his head and left.  
  
For a moment, she just stood there, silent. The only sound in the room was his heart monitor. She just stood there, staring. This was Quatre, the person in a coma on life support. This was Quatre, her once strong and valiant man, reduced to this. Why can't it be me on the bed instead of him? I'm going to die anyway. She swallowed hard and cautiously approached his bed. Her breath caught, and she pulled a chair up and sat down. She touched his face, and instantly she started to cry.  
  
"Don't worry, Quatre," she sobbed, "I'll take care of you. I'll do all I can, I'm right here." she took his hand. "I'm sorry, you shouldn't be here, I should have checked on you sooner, then this wouldn't have happened. It's my fault, I'm so sorry." She could have sworn she felt his hand squeeze back on her's.  
  
"Quatre? Can you hear me? Oh Quatre, I love you: I love you so much. You can't die. Please wake up. Oh Quatre, you have to wake up. They might give me that heart transplant. That means I'll be a little better if they do. I don't want you to be here, you don't deserve this." She brushed some of his platinum gold hair out of his closed eyes. "I'm going to stay with you. I'll stay as long as it takes for you to wake up. Oh please wake up." she sighed. "I'm going to sleep right here in this chair. I'm not leaving, they can't make me." she had a sad smile on. "Remember, you..always told me that I had such spunk that no one could order me around.."  
  
She snuggled up in the chair, still holding his hand, and drifted off to sleep.  
  
"I won't leave you."  
  
Author's Note: I got the idea of Sera raping Quatre because she wanted a baby from my soap opera As the World Turns, from when Julia came back to rape Jack because she wanted a baby, while Carly was at the death spa place. I realized this after I wrote it, but I still wanted to give credit to the show's writers, (who won the daytime emmy for best writing, yay! Though the show should have won more, oh well) I'd also like to give credit to the actors who portrayed Julia and Jack because they made event stick out with their portrayal, so they deserve credit too 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.  
  
Author's Note:  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part V  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
"I won't leave you."  
  
Quatre heard a voice say that, only it seemed so far away. He opened his eyes and found himself on a bed. He took something out of his mouth and looked around. He saw Dorothy sleeping in a chair near the bed. She looked so pale and sickly. He reached out to touch her face. But his hand went right through her. Confused, he got out of the bed, and the room disappeared. He was now in a marble hall. It was big and beautiful, but Dorothy wasn't there.  
  
"Where am I." he thought out loud.  
  
"You are in yourself."  
  
He spun around and saw a woman on a grand marble staircase. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. He knew he must be dreaming.  
  
"Mother?" She had died giving birth to him. He had never seen her, yet she looked exactly like the old pictures he had of her.  
  
"No, I'm not really your mother," she said as she slowly descended the long winding staircase, "I'm your image of her, how you keep her alive within your mind."  
  
"Oh. But.I still don't know where I am."  
  
"Like I said, you are in yourself."  
  
"But what does that mean?"  
  
"You are inside your mind right now."  
  
"What? Is this a dream?"  
  
"No, I'm sorry to say you're in a coma right now."  
  
"Coma?" His mouth dropped open. "But.how.I don't remember."  
  
"Would you like to remember?"  
  
He blinked. "I could remember?"  
  
"Yes. You were unconscious when all this happened, but your sub-conscious can remember it."  
  
"My sub-conscious?"  
  
"The part of your brain that works when you're unconscious or when you dream. So again, I ask you," she looked into his eyes, "do you want to see what happened?"  
  
It was so strange for Quatre. For the first time in his entire life, he was looking into his mother's eyes. While it wasn't really her, he still felt the intensity of her presence. He was able to choke out, "Yes, I want to see what happened."  
  
"Very well." She waved her hand and a holographic screen appeared in front of them. It showed first Sera and Quatre shaking hands, then her punching him in the nose and sticking him with a needle.  
  
"I remember that."  
  
"Shh, just watch."  
  
He watched himself as he passed out on the floor. He saw Sera clean the blood from his nose off the floor, then drag him down a secret corridor into a secret room, tie him up and give him viagra. Then she started to slip off her dress. He turned away.  
  
"Can we please skip part of this? It's too difficult to watch."  
  
"Very well. We'll cut to the part when Dorothy comes in."  
  
"Dorothy? She saw all of this?"  
  
"Like I said, just watch."  
  
He looked back at the screen again and saw Dorothy burst through the door with a rapier in her hand, and she screamed at Sera. Sera got up and put a sheet around herself. Quatre felt so hurt as he saw Dorothy try to shake him awake, then saw the swollen mark on his arm. He looked his own arm; it was still there.  
  
"Dorothy.she looks terrible, so pale, she shouldn't be exerting herself like that."  
  
Quatre looked shocked as Dorothy raised the rapier to Sera's throat after Sera confessed she raped him to get a baby. He saw the anger and malice in Dorothy's eyes and grew concerned.  
  
"She looks like she did when she stabbed me. I hope she doesn't do anything she'll regret."  
  
He watched as Sera talked her out of killing her, and as Dorothy called Rashid, and he restrained Sera and took her away. He gasped as Dorothy dropped her rapier to the floor and fell with it.  
  
"Oh no, Dorothy!"  
  
"Relax, this already happened. You'll make an appearance now as well."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Just watch."  
  
He watched again as she got up again and moved toward him on the bed. She kneeled, took his hand, told him she loved him and started crying. He felt tears coming on himself.  
  
"Please, Dorothy, don't cry."  
  
He saw as he groaned and started to wake up. She was calling to him. He was delirious and was mumbling nonsense. She tried to calm him down. He started screaming out in pain. She held his hand tighter and spoke comfort to him. He screamed in pain some more. As she tried to calm him down, he gasped as he saw her duck when he tried to slap her.  
  
"Oh my god!!! I tried to hit her!! Oh Dorothy I'm sorry."  
  
"There's more."  
  
"What?" He turned his attention back to the screen as he screamed at her 'I said get away! Stop hurting me!'  
  
"Dorothy, I didn't mean that."  
  
He became alarmed as he saw her on the floor holding her chest. "Oh god, her heart. Dorothy, calm down, please."  
  
"You can't influence this, it already happened."  
  
"I know, I know, but I..no Dorothy, please stay away from me, I could hurt you."  
  
He said as she saw him approach him again. He was still flailing and screaming. "I'm delirious, don't go near me."  
  
She tried to hold his hand again, but now he slapped her.  
  
Quatre screamed out loud. "NOOOO!! OH MY GOD, WHAT DID I DO??!!! He ran to the hologram image and tried to hold the fake Dorothy.  
  
"Dorothy.." He started to cry, "Oh Dorothy, I'm so sorry." He tried to grab the hologram, but his arms went through it. "Please forgive, the last thing I want to do is hurt you. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."  
  
"There's not much more, I'll fast forward through it."  
  
Quatre watched in fast motion as the paramedics came in, got him on a stretcher, and how Dorothy ran after them to the ambulance. "She shouldn't be running," he was still crying, "Her heart might not be able to take it." He watched it finish as they got off the ambulance and rushed him into the emergency room.  
  
His mother put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"  
  
"I-I-I hit her.."  
  
"You didn't mean to do it. It was the drugs."  
  
"But.I still hit her. I can't believe I did that. WHY?! WHY DID I DO IT!?" He brushed off her hand and went to hang his head in the corner. "I didn't mean to, I'd never want to hurt her."  
  
"I know." His mother said, moving toward him. "And that's why you have to wake up from this. She also said she was going to get her heart transplant."  
  
He looked up. "Her heart transplant came in? I have to be there, I have to make sure everything's ok." He looked her seriously in the eye. "I have to wake up now."  
  
She patted his shoulder lovingly, just like he thought his mother would. "Well when you wake up depends on you, and whether or not you can."  
  
He grew worried. "Are you telling me I might not be able to wake up?"  
  
"I'm sorry to say, that in certain cases, no you can't. Whether or not you're one of those cases is up to you to find out."  
  
"How do I find out?"  
  
"You'll have to first have the will to want to wake up, and I can see you do, and then strengthen it enough to overpower your conscious self."  
  
"Is that it?"  
  
"No, you also have to journey through your mind to brink where the conscious and sub-conscious parts of your mind meet. If your will is strong enough, and if your body permits, you can come out of your coma."  
  
Quatre breathed out a long breath. That seemed like an awful lot to do. He didn't know if he could do it before Dorothy got her heart transplant. But he had to try; he just had to. For Dorothy, he had to. He had to make sure she was all right. He looked at the image of his mother.  
  
"I'll do it. For Dorothy, I will. I have to make sure she's alright. But I need to get there before she has her heart transplant. Where is she now?"  
  
His mother made a holographic screen appear again, this time with an image of Dorothy sleeping in a chair next to a hospital bed, with him on it. "As you can see, she's sleeping in the chair next to you. She'll be there until tomorrow, and then I believe she'll be moved to her own room in preparation for her surgery. You have until tomorrow morning if you want to talk to her before her surgery."  
  
"Alright. Now, which way do I go?"  
  
She pointed. "You go that way. Keep heading straight until you find out which way to go. I must warn you, you could run into some strange things, and some difficult memories. Things could temp you, but you have to remember that they aren't real, since you're in your mind, you can control them. Manipulate them with your own will, don't let them manipulate you."  
  
"Thank you," he smiled at her. "I know you're not really my mother, but thank you for telling me what to do."  
  
She smiled at him. His mother looked a lot like him. She gave him a hug. "Goodbye, my son."  
  
He let go of her, and started to run in the direction she pointed in. He went out the front door of the marble palace, and found himself..nowhere. He was standing, but there appeared to be nothing underneath his feet. Everything was just white. How could he know where to go? Then he remembered what his mother said 'Keep heading straight until you find out which way to go.' With determination on his face, Quatre started to walk out across the white plain. This place was so strange; it was like a void.  
  
"My mind is a strange place, well that's what I expected."  
  
He continued to run across the great white beyond that he knew was his mind. As his feet touch the surface of what seemed like nothing, it made ripples spreading outward, as if he were walking on water. He kept running and running. And then, without reason, he started falling.  
  
****  
  
Dorothy was just starting to wake up. She was half asleep with her eyes still closed. She had a terrible headache. She was remembering everything that had happened. But right now, with her eyes still closed, she didn't even know where she was. She thought she might have dreamt the whole thing. She called.  
  
"Quatre?"  
  
No answer. Then she listened to hear a beeping sound. She opened her eyes in disappointment to see that she was where she thought she was, in a chair, in the hospital, next to Quatre, who was unconscious.  
  
"Uh. I guess it was real. Oh my head."  
  
She groaned as she stretched her stiff arms and legs. She twisted her head carefully to stretch her neck. She glanced at the clock. It was 3:26 in the morning. She put her elbows on the edge of the bed and just stared at Quatre. Even now, he still looked like an angel. Her angel. The way his platinum gold hair framed, but still looked scattered about his pale face. He didn't have exactly the same glow he usually had, but he still had an aura around him that gave him a certain glow. She took her hand and began to comb his hair with it.  
  
"Quatre, I know you can't hear me, but I want you to know that I love you. I always have and always will. You take as long as you need to wake up, because I'll be right here every second." She kissed his forehead. "You were there for me, now I'll be there for you." She paused for a moment. "Quatre, I'm a little scared. I'm supposed to be getting my heart transplant tomorrow. Well actually it's really today, but I'm nervous. What if something goes wrong? I know this won't get rid of the disease, but it should help. But it won't be enough. I've been taking this one step at a time, but after this I don't know what to do. I don't know what to treat next. I know I shouldn't be thinking about myself with you like this, but I had to tell you, even if you can't hear." She took his hand and scrunched up in her chair again. As she drifted off to sleep again, she muttered a few words.  
  
"Aishiteru, Quatre."  
  
****  
  
As Quatre was falling through, again what seemed like nothing, he heard Dorothy's voice again, every so distantly.  
  
"Aishiteru, Quatre."  
  
"Dorothy!" he called out. Sooner than he thought, he had landed on something. Now he was in outer space. There was a colony nearby, and it looked somewhat familiar. Could it be? No, it couldn't possibly happen. But Quatre new he was wrong when he saw the Wing Zero mobile suit. He was just thrown in amidst this memory; he wasn't a part of it. He knew this was that time.  
  
"Oh no, I have to see this again."  
  
He just stood by and watched as the Wing Zero mobile suit aimed its cannon at the colony. Quatre winced as the colony blew up as the beam cannon hit it. The thing that was most painful was the fact that it was him in that mobile suit and it was his fault all those people were dead.  
  
"Alright, I've seen this, where do I go from here?" Suddenly, the mobile suit stopped in front of him, and he got out of it, pulled off his helmet and faced himself. Quatre knew this image of him was not mentally stable, the cockpit of the Wing Zero made a person that way.  
  
"Hey, I see you're, uh, me."  
  
The image laughed. "I don't think so. You have to be an illusion. I am the real Quatre Rababa Winner. With the Wing Zero I am invincible. No one can stop me with this machine."  
  
"Right, right, whatever you say. Listen, do you happen to know where I'm supposed to go?"  
  
He gave himself a look. "Hmm, well there's two doors over there," he pointed to a white door and a red door, "and you have to go through the red one."  
  
Quatre wasn't sure he could trust this image of himself. He was, after all unstable. He decided to make him admit why he chose the red door. "Ok, red door, got it. Why do I have to go through the red door?"  
  
"Because those doors signify things. I'd know, I took the red door when I destroyed the colony. Red signifies blood, and blood needs to be shed to conquer and gain victory. I took the red door to get here. The white door signifies peace and pacifism. That's the door I'd typically take, but the wing zero makes me see things better."  
  
"Thank you," Quatre said to his image. He knew now to take the white door. His mother was right, he had to manipulate what these images said to get the right answers. He walked the distance to the door, took the knob and twisted it open. He stepped into the white light. Then, it turned to black light.  
  
****  
  
"Dorothy, Dorothy!"  
  
Dorothy twitched in her chair as she heard her name. She pulled her legs up more and tried to block out the noise and go back to sleep. She jumped and fell to the floor when she was tapped on the shoulder.  
  
"Relax, Dorothy, it's only me."  
  
"Oh, hello Doctor."  
  
He helped her to her feet. "So, how are you? I can't believe you slept in this chair."  
  
She pulled her arm across her chest to stretch her shoulder. "I had to be with him. How is he by the way?"  
  
He looked at the monitors near Quatre. "Well, looks like he's stable. Good heart rate, good breathing rate, not much change."  
  
"I see."  
  
He turned back to her. "So Dorothy, we found you a heart transplant. I recommend that you come with me now so we can give it to you. You have to get prepped for the surgery. Are you ok with that?"  
  
She was still looking at Quatre. "Yes. Just give me a minute and I'll go."  
  
He nodded. "Of course. I'll wait outside." He left the room. Dorothy sat back down in her chair and started stroking his hair.  
  
"Well Quatre, I have to go now. They're going to give me my transplant. I am still nervous, but this'll make things better. I'm supposed to get better after this. Once you wake up we can go back to how things were. Not exactly, but close." She kissed his forehead. "I love you. Come back to me soon." she stood up and opened the door. "Alright Doctor, I'm ready."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
She took one last look at her sleeping angel. "Yes, I am. Let's go."  
  
****  
  
After Quatre stepped into the white light that turned black, he found himself in a cemetery. Fog and mist hung on the dark air. The ground was soft and slightly muddy. He started wandering around.  
  
"This is in my head? No wonder I'm so screwed up."  
  
"Quatre."  
  
He spun around upon hearing a misty voice. He gasped. It was a ghost. And not just any ghost, but the ghost of his father. Suddenly the memory of his father's death came back to him. His father had . The council and everyone had rebelled against him. He had been a pacifist. It was decreed that their natural resource satellites would be taken over and used for military purposes. Quatre's father, not wanting to fight, put himself in a natural resource satellite and self-destructed it. Quatre had seen the whole thing. He was always the gentlest of the Gundam pilots, but after seeing that was when he built wing zero. He tried to talk to the ghost.  
  
"Father?"  
  
"Hello Quatre. My goodness, look at you. Did I ever tell you how proud I am of you?"  
  
"Um, not really."  
  
"Well I should have."  
  
"Father, do you know where I have to go from here, or even where I am?"  
  
"Well Quatre, this is the back of your mind. Things you think about but not think about very constantly. It's also the place that your worst fears are housed."  
  
"Worst fears?"  
  
"Yes. As for where to go, you have to work your way through this. You'll find the brink once you work your way through your worst fears."  
  
"Alright. Thank you, father."  
  
"Your welcome, son. Goodbye, and good luck." He said as he faded away. Quatre started out stepping over the many graves scattered throughout the area. Then, he tripped over one. He got back up to look at it, and there were 4 of them in a row. They each had the names of the gundam pilots on them. From left to right, they were Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, and Wufei Chang. He stumbled backwards seeing this. The graves of all his friends.  
  
"T-this can't be."  
  
He heard his mother's voice in his head again. "Remember, these are only illusions. These are in your head. You can control them."  
  
Those words filled him with will again. He stood up and walked right past the illusions of the graves. Then, he saw a funeral off in the distance. People were gathered around a huge monument. They were all in black and bowing their heads. He went over towards these people. A minister was talking over a coffin.  
  
"And so today, we bury a young person, who was much too young to be buried. This person had their whole life ahead of them. They were stolen from us, much too early. Today we bury Dorothy Catalonia."  
  
Quatre stopped breathing when he heard this. This most certainly was his worst fear. He listened on.  
  
"Dorothy had the misfortune of having Chagus disease. And, still, sadly, there is no cure. She was having a heart transplant to treat her symptoms when she had a seizure and died."  
  
Quatre grit his teeth. It's not real, it's only in my head, it's an illusion. Dorothy will live; Dorothy will live. As he thought this over and over again, the people, the minister and even the coffin started to fade away. He walked through the fading illusion and found a door in the big monument. He couldn't open it. This must be the brink. He focused his will as strong as he could. He had to get back for one reason: Dorothy. He had to see her; he had to hold her again. He had to make sure she was going to be all right. He closed his eyes, still gripping the door, and he saw a white light. Then, he opened the door and walked into it. He started to hear voices.  
  
"Quatre, Quatre, can you hear us?"  
  
****  
  
Quatre started to open his eyes. He could make out 4 blurry faces. They were all staring at him. He blinked a couple times.  
  
"Hey, I think Q-man's wakin' up!"  
  
"Duo, you should be more quiet. Quatre will most likely be disoriented." He could make out those two voices.  
  
"Duo, Trowa?"  
  
"Hey, he is awake! See Heero, I told you so," he held out his hand, "You owe me 10 bucks."  
  
"Now's not the time for that," Heero's monotone voice said. "Quatre, how do you feel?"  
  
Quatre rubbed his head. "How do you think I feel? I'm so tired. But," he smiled at them, "Thank you all for coming."  
  
Wufei had his arms crossed in the corner, and as usual with a stubborn look on his face. "We came because we were informed to come."  
  
"Who told you all to come?"  
  
"Dorothy called me and told me to tell everyone and come to see you while she couldn't be here." Trowa's gentle voice said.  
  
"Dorothy, oh where is she?"  
  
"Oh, that's right you were unconscious, she's getting her heart transplant. Relena's in there now helping her with surgery prep."  
  
Quatre's eyes widened. That was why he woke up, to see her again, to make sure she was all right. He yanked out his IV, took off his breathing machine, put on a second hospital robe, and went out the door. The others watched him stunned. Heero called out to him.  
  
"Hey, I know I'm no expert in medicine, but aren't you supposed to be resting?"  
  
"There's no time for that," he called back, "I have to see Dorothy, what room is she in?"  
  
Heero sighed. "Room 322. Go get her lover boy."  
  
Quatre, who had put the second robe on backwards and was completely covered, ran as fast as he could down the hallway. He was still a little tired and woozy, but at that moment he didn't care. All he cared about was getting to Dorothy. He nearly knocked off a little nurse.  
  
"Oh excuse me, I'm sorry," he said as he was still running. Then, he reached the door. He didn't even knock; he just opened it. He found a very shocked Relena sitting in a chair.  
  
"Quatre? Quatre? Oh my god, I thought you were in a coma! I mean I just visited you."  
  
"Relena, hello." Quatre panted as she gave him a hug. "It's so good to see you. Now where's Dorothy?"  
  
"She's in the bathroom changing into her robe." she eyed Quatre wearing two robes. "I see you know how to keep covered." She started to cry a little. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't get emotional, I just thought I might never be able to talk to you again.We were all so worried, even Heero, though he wouldn't admit it."  
  
"Yeah, that sounds like Heero. No offense to you, but when's Dorothy coming back. That's why I woke up, to see her."  
  
"Calm down, she be right back." Relena looked at him. "Quatre, I think she's very brave. She's not acting the least bit nervous. Oh, and she notified your sisters of what happened to you, so you can expect them as visitors."  
  
"She talked to my sisters? All 29 of them?"  
  
"Well she called one, got screamed at by her and started a phone chain."  
  
"Oh." he said. He knew his sisters didn't exactly get along with her, but he was glad she told them. Just then, the door opened.  
  
"Dorothy!" ****  
  
Dorothy had opened the door to her room, and found that two people were in it now. Relena, who had been there, but now she thought she saw Quatre. Stunned by seeing this, she closed the door again. She took about 5 seconds to tell herself, "Stop seeing things, Quatre's not there, he's in a coma, he's not there." After she thought, she had convinced herself, she opened the door again. And there he was again. Not being able to stand it, he ran up to her and gave her a huge hug.  
  
"Relena?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Am I seeing things or is it Quatre that's hugging me?"  
  
Relena smiled. "Yes, it is Quatre. I was as shocked as you. I think I'll give you two some time alone." She walked out and closed the door. Dorothy looked into Quatre's eyes.  
  
"Are you real?"  
  
He smiled. "Why don't I show you." He leaned in and gave her the most passionate kiss she had ever felt. In that kiss, she knew it really was him; her angel had come back to her. When they parted, she stared, panting, at him.  
  
"I can't believe it, you're awake. You came back."  
  
He stroked her face. "I will always come back for you."  
  
"I know this is a delicate subject, but, do you want me to tell you what happened?"  
  
"It's ok, you don't have to."  
  
"But.don't you want to know what she did to you?"  
  
"Dorothy, right now I couldn't care what she did, I only want to see you right now."  
  
"But," she moved out of his grasp, "I think you have to know."  
  
He thought. He didn't actually remember everything that happened when he was inside his head. "Alright, if you want you can tell me."  
  
"Ok. What happened is after you left to meet someone, I waited awhile, and then I went looking for you. You weren't there, but I found blood on the floor, so I ran around looking for you. I felt lightheaded so I leaned against the wall. I fell through a panel and into a secret hallway. I grabbed the rapier on the wall, and looked in the doors. I heard a female voice, so I went in that door, and I found.."  
  
"Yes? What did you find?"  
  
She swallowed hard and looked him in the face. "I found you and Sera naked on a bed. She jumped off. I saw you were tied up and saw the injection mark. Sera confessed to me she gave you a tranquillizer and tainted viagra so she could rape and get a baby from you. I had her arrested. You were delirious. You were screaming in pain and flailing around. I tried to calm you down, but." she pointed to the slightly red mark on her face, "I couldn't calm you down. But the paramedics came, and got you to the hospital. Then they told me you were in a coma, and I spent the whole night with you." She sighed. "That's what happened, now you know. I'm sorry, if I checked on you sooner, then this wouldn't have."  
  
He placed a finger on her lips. "Hush. You've said enough. And I don't want you blaming yourself for something that wasn't your fault at all. You saved my life, Dorothy. Thank you so much." He leaned in and kissed her again. She kissed back, never wanting that kiss to end. The doctor opened the door.  
  
"Hello miss-,"  
  
"GET OUT!" she screamed.  
  
The frightened doctor ran out. Quatre gave her a look.  
  
"Why did you scare the poor doctor like that?"  
  
"Because," she grabbed his robe and pulled him towards her, "I want more alone time with you." She raised an eyebrow. "Any objections to that?"  
  
He smiled a wicked smile. "Oh no, none at all." She pulled him down on the unused hospital bed with her and took off his extra robe. "I don't think you need this." she tossed it aside. The two of them started getting intimate when two doctors came in this time.  
  
"Uhh, excuse us, please."  
  
Dorothy retied her robe. "Oh what is it now? Can't you see we're busy?"  
  
"Y-yes ma'am, I see that. B-but, you need to go int-to surgery right now."  
  
She sighed an annoyed sigh. "Alright." She turned to Quatre. "I'll finish with you later." She kissed him deeply and then waved she was taken out on the stretcher. Quatre left the room to go back to his own. He wanted to get dressed, but the nurse forbade him, saying he had to stay another night for observation. He was at least allowed to get dressed. His four friends were still in his room, and they kept him company. They talked for a while. Then, Quatre saw people rushing down the hallway. He got up, opened the door, and caught a few words they were saying.  
  
"Yes, it's the girl with Chagus disease getting a heart transplant, we're needed right away, apparently she's having a seize. We have to hurry, she could die." 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. They belong to their respective owners and creators. I'm only writing this story out of my own passion.  
  
Author's Note:  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part VI  
  
By, Silver Fox ".She could die."  
  
Everything froze around Quatre as he heard those words. The scariest thing about it was the fact that in his head, when he went by his fear of Dorothy's funeral, this was the way she died. His mind blanked out everything else in it and focused on those stabbing, fatal words.  
  
".She could die."  
  
Without even thinking, he started running. His mind didn't even realize he was running. He was only following his basic instinct. He wanted to protect her. He had to do something. He didn't hear his friends yelling at him, or the frightened people he was almost knocking down. He could only hear one thing in his mind, the same terminal words he heard the rushing doctors say.  
  
".She could die."  
  
No, he thought. I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. I'll stop it. I'll prevent it. I won't fail. I can't fail. I can't afford to fail. My life depends on her life. I have to do something.  
  
"Sir, Sir!! Please sir, you have to wait here."  
  
Someone was holding him back. The doctors had already rushed in the doors, but someone was restraining him. He tried to break through their hold with all his might, but it was in vain, for he could not get through. He tried clawing at the man's arm, but all it did was scratch him slightly. He kept trying to look in the emergency room.  
  
"What's happening, what's going on?"  
  
"Calm down sir, the doctors will take care of it."  
  
"Tell me what's wrong!"  
  
"Alright alright. Apparently, there are complications in the surgery and she's having a seizure. When they put the new heart in, apparently her body is rejecting it. So we're doing all we can right now sir. Please, just step back."  
  
Quatre didn't want to step back. He kept trying to break through the grasp that held him. He used all his strength to push his way through, but it was in vain. His strength gave out and his knees buckled from under him. Two nurses carried him off to his room. He kept looking back at the room.  
  
"Dorothy."  
  
****  
  
"Dorothy."  
  
She opened her eyes at the sound of a voice to see just a blank ceiling. She saw she was lying on and operating table with all sorts of doctors around her. Scared upon seeing this, she jumped up and off of the table. She gawked as she saw herself on the table, being operated on.  
  
"Oh god," she thought out loud, "Am I dead?"  
  
She turned away from the site of her open body, seeing as she didn't like seeing operations. Then, she turned back and tried to tap the one of the doctors on the shoulder, but her hand went right through him. She saw herself having convulsions, and while still having a heart rate, she saw herself looking very unstable.  
  
"Is this how it's going to end? I have to die right here? Right now? While I'm unconscious? And I don't even get to say goodbye to anyone? I can't see my Quatre again?"  
  
A voice came down and only she seemed to hear it.  
  
"Dorothy, go to him now."  
  
She reared her head up and looked around to see nothing. "What?"  
  
"Do as I said, go to him now."  
  
"Who are you, anyway?"  
  
"Does that really matter right now? Go to him, he needs you. Then you can make your choice."  
  
"What choice?"  
  
"JUST GO! All will be explained later, just go to him!"  
  
"Alright, alright." She walked through the doors without opening them, and looked around. People were walking right through her. She walked down the hall, passing everyone. She knew exactly where she had to go, to see Quatre. The misty facade of herself drifted past many hallways and rooms, until she reached her final destination. It was almost painful to see him like this. While he was sedated, he looked so blank. She moved in closer to him. She tried to touch his face, but she went through him, and it looked like it made him cold.  
  
"Quatre, can you hear me?"  
  
He didn't answer.  
  
"I guess you can't. I don't know exactly what's happening, Quatre. I don't know what's going on with me. I wish I could talk to you, and you could hear me. I want to assure you that everything will be all right; I want to make you feel better. But, I can't. I don't know if I'm going to be all right. I don't even know if I'm already dead."  
  
She looked longingly at him. "The only thing I'm happy about is that it's me here and not you." She bent down to give him a kiss, and it almost looked like he could feel it. "I don't know if I'll ever see you again, so in case I don't, Aishiteru Quatre Rababa Winner. You are the kindest, most decent person that I ever knew." She slowly turned and left the room. When she got out, she turned her head up towards the ceiling. "What now? What do I do now?"  
  
"You have to decide."  
  
"Decide? Decide what?"  
  
"You have to decide."  
  
"Ok, scratch that question. Where do I go now?"  
  
"You go to your decision."  
  
She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Will you please just tell me what I have to decide? Honestly, this is getting on my nerves."  
  
"Don't you dare disrespect me."  
  
"Well who are you anyway?"  
  
An image appeared in front of her. Her jaw dropped upon seeing it. This was an image she thought she would never see. The sheer sight of this made her knees tremble. It was her mother.  
  
"M-mother? I mean; is it really you?"  
  
The image now smiled at her and moved closer. "Yes Dorothy. I am your mother."  
  
"But, how?"  
  
"I was sent here to help you."  
  
"But-does that mean I'm dead?"  
  
She sighed. "There is no definite answer to that. The fact is I cannot answer it. Only you can. That is what you must decide."  
  
"Must decide what?"  
  
"Dorothy, you must decide if you want to live or die."  
  
"Live or die?" The answer seemed so obvious to her that she almost laughed as she said it. "I want to live of course!"  
  
"For yourself or just for Quatre?"  
  
She shot a strange look to the image. "And what does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"It has a lot to do everything, Dorothy." Her mother moved closer to her. "You see, the only way you can live again, is to live for yourself. I know you're willing to live for Quatre's sake, but that's not good enough. If you're not willing to live for yourself right now, then you will die."  
  
Dorothy nearly laughed out of cold irony. "But that would be selfish, to want to live for myself. Let me understand this. I've been selfish my entire life, caring only about what I wanted. And now, at this point in my life, when I love someone so much that I want to live for his sake, you're telling me that's not good enough???"  
  
Her mother retracted as she nearly spat at her. "Dorothy, this isn't a matter of being selfish. This is a matter of much greater things."  
  
"Oh really, and would you mind telling me what they are? Before I actually do die I mean."  
  
"Stop your attitude, it's sickening. What is at stake here is your self worth. Now you have to act fast, or you're dead. Go back to your body, and think good things of yourself. And loving someone is one of those things. Now go before it's too late!"  
  
Without saying another word, Dorothy was already off down the hall, getting back to herself. Though it was all very unclear to her, she had to try something. What was all that about wanting to live for herself? She didn't know, but she wanted to live. When she got back to the operating room, she saw that she had started flat lining. Panic was rushing over her. What could she do? She didn't have a clue. She knew she had to do something about wanting to live for herself, but what the hell did that mean? She thought quickly. She knew she loved Quatre, and he made her feel like she was important. That might be it! Because she loved him, she felt like she was worth something.  
  
"I hope that counts for something."  
  
She saw the doctors were talking to each other.  
  
"The only hope we have is the new artificial heart."  
  
"But we can't do that, that'll probably kill her."  
  
"Well we don't have much of a choice. Her body's rejecting the transplant."  
  
"But it'll probably reject this too!"  
  
"Well you're the head doctor, you make the final decision."  
  
I have to convince him to use the artificial heart. She walked over to him and put her hand through his head. Instantly, his expression changed. Then, with a different look in his eyes, said the final order.  
  
"Use the artificial heart."  
  
She then let her misty self become one with her body.  
  
****  
  
"Mr. Winner?"  
  
Quatre lifted his head from between his legs and sat up in his chair. He rubbed his red tear stained eyes. Despite what they told him to stay in bed, he refused and was dressed in a messy untucked and unbuttoned shirt and thrown on pants, and in the waiting room. Desperation was starting to overcome him. He stood up and looked the messenger straight in the eye.  
  
"Yes, that's me. Now how's Dorothy? Is she ok? Please, tell me what's going on I'm losing my mind!" He was now gripping the doctor by his jacket.  
  
"Please, sir! Put me down sir. Yes, Miss Catalonia is all right now. She should be waking up soon. Now please, sir. Put me down!"  
  
Quatre gradually released the doctor. Relief rushed over him. A tear of joy escaped from his eye. "Oh thank god. Thank you, thank you, thank you god." Suddenly, his grip tightened on the man's jacket again. "What room is she in?"  
  
"Ug, she's in room 107. Now please let me go sir!"  
  
"Alright then." He released his hold on the man. "Oh, and uh, sorry about that." He then was instantly darting off in the direction of Dorothy's room. He skidded to a stop as he found it. He took a moment to look at her. She was asleep. How beautiful she looked while she was sleeping. So peaceful, not burdened by the rest of the world. He slowly opened the door, slipped in and slowly closed it. He found a chair and pulled up to her bed. He took a moment to talk to god. He had never been a praying man for most of his life, but now he felt it was a good time to start. He even got off the chair and sunk to his knees. He let out a sigh and looked up.  
  
"Dear god, Hello its Quatre Rababa Winner. I know I shouldn't be one to talk to you. I've done so many things I've regretted. I was a Gundam Pilot. I killed people. I'm sorry. I know shouldn't have done the things I did, but I know I can't take them back. For awhile, I wasn't sure I believed in you, but," he smiled and looked at his sleeping goddess, "now I wonder how ever not believed in you. Thank you for bringing her back to me. I can't tell you how much she means to me. And now, I want to ask you for something. Nothing for me, but please protect her. Keep her safe, and help her conquer her disease. Please, keep her alive and happy. Thank you." He blessed himself and got back in his chair. Then, he saw her starting to stir. He touched her face.  
  
"Dorothy? Can you hear me, love?"  
  
****  
  
Dorothy opened her eyes upon hearing a familiar voice. She saw the happiest site she could possibly see. She saw her Quatre. Instantly, the fear deep inside her began to vanish.  
  
"Quatre.let me make sure, are you real?"  
  
He smiled, stroked her hair, and leaned in and gave her a deep kiss. "Does that answer your question, fallen angel?"  
  
She chuckled. "Well now I know you are real." she moved over in her hospital bed and patted the seat next to her. "Lie down here."  
  
"Are you sure I'm supposed to?"  
  
"Quatre, now when have I ever cared enough to respect those 'supposed to' rules?"  
  
He smiled. "Well that's right. You were always quite the firecracker." He got into the bed on the other side of her and put his arms around her. "But you're my firecracker."  
  
She smiled closed her eyes. Then, she opened them again. "Quatre?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What actually happened in the operating room?"  
  
There was a short pause. "Are you sure you want to hear?"  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"Ok. Well they were giving you your transplant, then you."Quatre was nearly choking on his words. Dorothy rolled over and brushed some of the hair out of his eyes. He smiled, sighed and continued talking. "You started having a seizure. That's what I overheard. What I also heard is that you could have."  
  
"Died?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, I guess now we've both had a brush with death. But don't you ever do it again."  
  
"Well I won't if you won't."  
  
She mocked a thinking face. "Alright, deal. Let's seal it with a kiss."  
  
He smiled. "No objection here." He leaned in as they gave each other the most deep, and longing kiss they'd ever felt. After awhile, they pulled apart to look into each other's eyes.  
  
"I love you Quatre."  
  
"And I love you, Dorothy."  
  
She cuddled up in his arms. "Quatre, I want you to promise me that, if I ever die first, you won't kill yourself. I'll do the same, but promise me."  
  
"Dorothy." He was a little shocked upon hearing this. He knew she was saying this because of her illness. "Alright, Dorothy. I promise."  
  
"Good." Her eyes were getting heavy as she was drifting off to sleep. "We can finally start to have a normal life now Quatre. We can finally start to be happy together."  
  
He smiled as she fell asleep in his arms. He held her a little closer. "Yes, Dorothy. Now, we can finally have the life we deserve."  
  
Author's Note: 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply  
  
Author's Note: Heh heh, I'm back for more. Chapter 6 did seem like it could be an ending, but of course knowing me I just couldn't end it there. This chapter I think is a bit of a tension release chapter, at least for little old me, the author. Warning, I sorta made it a bit long. Please R&R! Also, my eternal gratitude goes out to all the people who reviewed this story so far. Thank you all, I love you! I really really appreciate it. Again, this is for you, Quintia.  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part VII  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
For the time being, things had returned as close to normal as possible for the lives of Quatre Winner and Dorothy Catalonia. Though Dorothy nearly died of a seizure while having her heart transplant, she was alive and in good health. Quatre had survived a deadly drug interaction, and now was perfectly healthy again. The two of them were back at Quatre's mansion, and for the first time, they could enjoy just being with each other. One morning, Dorothy woke up and went in the bathroom. She closed the door behind her. She sighed heavily as she turned the lights on. She reached for the medicine chest, and took out her medicine cream. She looked at her reflection.  
  
"It's funny, but for the first time in my life I'm not ashamed to look at my reflection. I don't hate myself anymore."  
  
She unscrewed the cap of her scar minimizing cream, squirted some in her hand, and pulled her shirt down a little so she could see her scar. Much as she hated to admit it, the look of it bothered her a little. She wasn't comfortable with wearing scoop necklines anymore, because the scar was in plain site when she wore them. She shook her head and smiled a weak smile.  
  
"This scar shouldn't bother me so much. It only proves that I lived through my surgery. If I hadn't have had it, I know I would have died." She stood up straight and tall. "In fact, I'm proud of it. It shows my bravery. It shows that I'm me. Though, I still don't think I'll wear any scoop necks just yet." She started to rub the cream on very gently, when she heard and noise and dropped the bottle.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"It's me, your worshiper, can I come in, or are you not descent?"  
  
She chuckled and opened the door. "Even if I wasn't descent, I'm sure you wouldn't mind."  
  
"Um, uh." He blushed and his face turned beet red. She laughed and gave him a quick kiss. "So," he was slowly regaining normal color in his face, "what are you doing in here?"  
  
"I'm putting on my face."  
  
"Oh, I didn't realize it came out of a bottle." He moved behind her and put his arms around her kissing her neck as she was facing the mirror. "I always thought the goddess look came natural to you."  
  
"I'm just kidding you. I'm actually using my scar cream."  
  
"Oh." He rubbed her arms. "Does that still bother you?" he asked gently.  
  
She shook her head. "No, it really doesn't anymore." She gazed at the reflection of her with her beloved. "I think I've accepted it now. It's sort of like a symbol of pride, showing I was brave enough to survive. So in a way, I'm proud of it."  
  
Gratitude showed on his face. "I'm glad. I'm glad I have you. I'm so lucky."  
  
"Yes, you are lucky, just like me."  
  
"Well, I'll let you take your shower now." He turned to go out the door, but she grabbed his arm.  
  
"Why don't we take ours together, to save water?" she was grinning wickedly.  
  
He was blushing again. "Um, sure, ok, to save water. Yeah, that'd be good." He smiled weakly as she pulled him into the shower with her.  
  
****  
  
"Winner Residence, may I help you?"  
  
Rashid had picked up the phone, as it was his job to. The tall man slicked his brown hair back with his hand. The person on the other end was a man, and was asking for Quatre.  
  
"Please hold." Rashid put the phone down and walked down the hall to Quatre's bedroom. Upon seeing that he wasn't there, he walked straight to the bathroom. He was about to knock on the door, and was puzzled to hear the shower going and two giggling voices. He put two and two together and instantly blushed. He made his way back to the phone.  
  
"I'm sorry, he's unavailable right now. May I take a message?"  
  
Rashid scribbled down a note that said call the person back. "Thank you, I'll deliver this right away." He hung up the phone and felt a little uneasy. "Well, I'll deliver this to Quatre as he's.uh, done." He walked off to tend to the calling of the cook.  
  
**** Quatre and Dorothy walked arm in arm out of his bedroom after they got dressed. Quatre was still blushing a little bit, but Dorothy rubbed his shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry, you were wonderful."  
  
"Oh good, I was worried about that."  
  
She put her head on his shoulder. "So what do we do now?"  
  
"Well, I was thinking that I should check with Rashid to see if there's anything I need to do. I do have to handle that big case and-,"  
  
"I have a better idea," she cut him off. "How about the two of us go off and have fun and forget about work?"  
  
"Well," Quatre tried to decide, "I don't know. I mean I do have a lot of work to do. And I don't know if this case can afford to wait." He looked at her giving him the biggest puppy dog eyes.  
  
"Please Quatre? Just for today, and I promise you can go back to work tomorrow. Pretty please?"  
  
Quatre squirmed a little. He would say no, but her look just melted him. "Oh, ok, ok. Jeez, you can make me do just about anything."  
  
She smiled. "Well that's good to know. Let's leave now. I'll drive."  
  
"Now? But, I should tell Rashid we're going, and I do have a chauffer."  
  
"No, let's just take off, it's more spontaneous that way. And as for the chauffer, screw that! I wanna drive today." She saw his worried face and sighed. "Just write him a note, saying we'll be back soon."  
  
"Ok, I'll do that." Quatre picked up the pen and paper, and neatly wrote out a note.  
  
"Ok, I did it."  
  
"Good, now let's get out of here before anyone stops us." She took Quatre's hand and dragged him out the door. She looked back at his somewhat nervous face. "Don't worry, this'll be fun, and you need a break, you work too much."  
  
"I work less with you around..." he mumbled to himself as his lively blonde angel dragged him out to his car garage. She stopped for a moment to choose a car.  
  
"Hmm, now which one do I want? Not the limo, not the minivan.I know! I want the corvette!"  
  
Quatre was a little hesitant upon hearing her answer. "Um, I don't know about that. I mean, that's a 67 vette, in mint condition. It's never even been driven before!"  
  
"Does it have a full tank of gas?"  
  
"Well, yes."  
  
"Then give me the keys, that's the one we're taking."  
  
"Um, Dorothy, please, just consider taking another one. It's in mint condition!"  
  
"I'm not leaving this garage unless it's in that car. Come on, are you ever going to sell it or anything?"  
  
"Of course not, but it's in mint condition!"  
  
"Well what good is a car unless you can drive it, at least once."  
  
He sighed, trying to talk her down from this. "Dorothy, my sweet, my angel, I love you, you know that. But I'm begging you, not that car!"  
  
She sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Look, if you let me drive that car, I promise I'll be really, really careful. It'll come back looking just like it did, I promise. Now, will you please just let me take that car, because there's no way you're going to talk me out of it."  
  
He desperately tried to think of some kind of retort, but he couldn't. He knew he wouldn't win this one, so he reluctantly handed her the keys. She took them joyfully and sprinted to the car. He followed slowly, looking defeated.  
  
"Oh come on," she said as he got in and closed the door, "You need this day out as much as I do, and having a cool car only makes it better." He still had a defeated face on. "Hey, I bet you after today you'll have a different expression on your face, and it'll be a happy one."  
  
He smiled. "Ok, I trust you. So, will you at least tell me what our plan for the day is?"  
  
She got a big smile. "That's the whole fun part, there is no plan! We're gonna make up as we go along."  
  
He got a little scared. "We don't even know where we're going? But, every time I go on a trip I always have everything mapped out."  
  
She patted his cheek. "That's why we're doing this, some unorganized fun. I love you, but you have to loosen up a little. Not everything has to be scheduled. You'll see." She gave him a wink as she pulled out of the parking garage. "Here we go," she let her hair down and let it blow in the breeze. "You'll thank me for this."  
  
He gave a nervous smile. "I hope so."  
  
****  
  
Rashid was looking all over the house for Quatre, but to no avail. He couldn't seem to locate the lad. He was really getting worried. He was afraid someone could have kidnapped him. He was searching again when he found a note he hadn't noticed before. It was addressed to him.  
  
Dear Rashid,  
  
Dorothy and I have gone out on business.(She forced me to go) We'll be back soon. (I hope)  
  
Love, Quatre  
  
Rashid chuckled slightly as he read the note. "Well I guess he has been kidnapped, by his girlfriend. I wish he would have told me though." Suddenly, Rashid got very worried. "Oh no, Master Quatre has no one to be his bodyguard. I have to go find them." He rushed out the door to go after the two lovebirds.  
  
****  
  
"Um, Dorothy? Where exactly are we headed?"  
  
"Well first of all we're going to a movie."  
  
"But, I didn't rent out the theater."  
  
She sighed, while still focusing on the road. "That's the point. We're going to the movies like average people. We're buying tickets, getting popcorn and candy, and sharing the theater with the public."  
  
He gave her a strange look. "What's the point of doing that? What's fun about that?"  
  
"Well, Quatre," she smiled, "I think since you've been rich your whole life, you don't realize what normal people have to do. I was one of them myself once, sort of, I guess. Either way, today you aren't Quatre Rababa Winner, head of the Winner Corp., and I'm not Dorothy Catalonia, leader of the Romefellar Foundation. Today we are just two young people having fun."  
  
He was still skeptical, but he figured he might as well agree. The idea seemed almost intriguing. "Alright, this idea seems harmless enough. What movie are we seeing?"  
  
"We'll decide when we get there."  
  
"Uh, alright."  
  
"Oh good, we're here." Dorothy swiftly turned the corner into the movie parking lot. Then, she took great care in parking Quatre's car in the back of the parking lot. "This way nobody will scratch it." They walked across the parking lot until they finally reached the theater. When they got to the ticket counter, they looked at the choices available.  
  
"Oh look! Austin Powers in Goldmember is in the theaters because of the anniversary of it. Let's see that, it's hysterical."  
  
"Ok, but I've never seen it."  
  
She gawked at him. "You've never seen Austin Powers?"  
  
"No, I guess I was always busy doing something."  
  
"Well," she hooked her arm in his, "Since we both need a good laugh, we'll see it."  
  
"Sure, oh wait a minute." He stopped her as she was reaching for her wallet. "Rich or normal people, I know the guy is supposed to treat for a girl he loves." He took out his wallet and told the cashier "Two for Austin Powers."  
  
Dorothy smiled. "Now you're catching on."  
  
****  
  
Rashid was driving around; thinking of any possible place Dorothy might have taken Quatre.  
  
"Where could they possibly have gone? All right Rashid, think. Where would a spontaneous girl go?" He furrowed his brow and tried to think and drive at the same time. "It's too early for a bar, but I better find them before it isn't too early for a bar. They're both cultured people, I'll try the art museum." He pulled his car around and headed straight for the museum, desperately hoping he would find them.  
  
****  
  
Quatre came out of the movie still laughing as hard as Dorothy was. They didn't care that people were staring at them, they just kept laughing.  
  
"I-haven't-laughed-that-hard-in-ages," he panted.  
  
"I know, I told you it was funny. You did need that, didn't you? Come on, be honest."  
  
"Ok, ok. You were right. I did need that. So, where to now, since you're calling the shots."  
  
"Well," she put a finger to her chin for a second, and then she put it up in the air. "I know, we're going to get something to eat."  
  
"Fine by me, I am getting hungry. What fine restaurant are we going to?"  
  
She cocked a look at him. "Fine restaurant? Oh no no no, we're going to a little burger place."  
  
His eyes widened. "A little burger place? Did I hear you right? But we can have the cook make us them anytime."  
  
She sighed. "I know that. But we're going to this place to soak up the atmosphere. I've been there a couple of times, and it's really good. Come on, let's go."  
  
She was again dragging him out to the car. As they got in, buckled their seatbelts and she turned the key, Quatre wanted to tell her something. "Um, Dorothy?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
He leaned over in his seat and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."  
  
"For what, specifically?"  
  
"For today. I'm excited. I can't remember when I had this much fun! For once I feel relaxed."  
  
She had on an 'I-told-you-so' smile. "Your welcome. Now let's go. I have more plans for us."  
  
She drove the car out of the parking lot and onto the road. Someone, while changing lanes, almost ran into them. Dorothy blasted her horn and yelled.  
  
"What the hell, you nearly went into me!"  
  
"Don't scream at me bitch, you were the one to.Quatre? Is that you in there?"  
  
Quatre turned his head to see Hilde and Duo in the car that they nearly collided with. They both pulled over and got out of their cars to talk to each other. Hilde elbowed Duo.  
  
"Oh right. Yeah. Sorry about the bitch remark, Dorothy. No offense intended."  
  
She put up her hand. "None taken. Don't worry about it."  
  
"So Quatre," Hilde spoke up, eyeing the car, "is the limo in the shop or the chauffer sick?"  
  
"Oh, uh," He put his hand behind his head, "Well no, Dorothy just insisted that she drive that specific car today, and that we go out to have fun instead of work."  
  
Duo was chuckling. "So, the Q-man is taking a day off? Mr. workaholic? Now I'm impressed. "He patted Quatre on the back so hard that Quatre nearly fell over. "Well I'm proud of you Quatre. I mean, I never thought you'd be one to ditch responsibilities. I see we've done a good job in starting to corrupt you. Nice work, Dorothy."  
  
She nodded in agreement. "Thank you Duo."  
  
"So, where are you guys headed?" Hilde asked.  
  
"Actually, we're going to this burger place to get something to eat. If you like, we'd love to have you join us."  
  
Hilde looked to Duo. "Well I don't know about you, but I'm starved, and a burger sounds great to me." She looked back to Dorothy. "Sure, we'll go. We'll just follow your car there."  
  
"Hey, I didn't get a say in the decision," Duo whined.  
  
Hilde looked back at him. "Oh, excuse me," she said sarcastically, "You have an objection?"  
  
"Well, no, of course not. I don't refuse food. But, um,"  
  
"Well good then. Let's go. I think I'll drive this time, and Dorothy, I'll follow you there."  
  
"Great. We'll go now then."  
  
The two couples went off to their cars, with Duo mumbling something about 'damn feminism'. As Dorothy turned the key again, Quatre asked her something.  
  
"Dorothy?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Where exactly is this burger place?"  
  
She smiled. "Oh you'll see."  
  
****  
  
As Rashid entered the art museum, he instantly scanned the immediate surrounds for at least pairs of blonde people. He spotted one! He instantly ran up to them.  
  
"Excuse me," he tapped them on the shoulders. Two different very stunned people turned around to see him.  
  
"Can I help you," the confused man asked.  
  
"Oh sorry, my mistake. I thought you were someone else." Embarrassed, he moved on and decided to make his way through the front desk. "Excuse me, sir?"  
  
"Yes?" the attendant at the desk gave him a funny look.  
  
"I'm looking for two people who could possibly be here. Could you make an announcement on your loudspeaker?"  
  
"Sir, I'm sorry but we can't do that."  
  
Rashid was getting hot under the collar. "One of the people I'm looking for is Quatre Rababa Winner, head of the Winner Corp., which is a very big contributor to this museum. Now, make that announcement. I'm looking for Quatre Winner and Dorothy Catalonia."  
  
"Oh, I know they are. The two of them have come here before. But, sorry sir, they haven't come in today."  
  
"Could you make that announcement anyway, just to make sure?"  
  
"Certainly sir."  
  
The attendant tapped the microphone and spoke over the loudspeaker."  
  
"Attention. If Quatre Winner and Dorothy Catalonia are in the building, will they please report to the front desk immediately."  
  
The two men waited there for about 15 minutes. The attendant spoke up. "Well sir, like I told you they aren't here."  
  
"I see, thank you." Rashid turned on his heel and left, desperately thinking where he should look next. "Where could they be? I wish Quatre had at least taken his cell phone; he left it in the house with his pager. Where could they be, where could they be?" As he was making his way back to his car, he had a thought. "The movies, they might have gone there." He got back in his car and started towards the closest movie theater.  
  
****  
  
"Man, Dorothy. When you said this was a little burger place you sure weren't kidding about the little part," Hilde said looking around to the very small place. It was a very tiny, and very old fashioned looking little restaurant. There were small little booths in some of the surrounding walls, one table, and bar stools around the front and side of the ordering counter. Behind the counter, there was a very old fashioned grill. Dorothy led them all over to the 4 stools on the side of the counter. Then she got up and prepared to order.  
  
"Now, how do all of you like your burgers?"  
  
"Well done," Quatre replied.  
  
"I'll take mine medium," Hilde said.  
  
"Well, everybody knows I go for it rare," Duo said enthusiastically.  
  
Dorothy confirmed the order with the cashier and ordered hers be medium rare. "What do you people want to drink?"  
  
"Peach Snapple Iced Tea." Quatre confirmed.  
  
"We'll take birch beer," Duo said. Dorothy gave them all their drinks and sat back down.  
  
"Now it's going to take awhile till they're all ready, it always takes awhile here. We might as well find something to talk about. Anybody have any ideas?"  
  
"Well," Hilde looked a little uneasy, "I heard about you having surgery, but I don't know what the whole deal was. I know this is a delicate subject, so if you don't want to discuss it, that's fine."  
  
"Oh not at all Hilde. I'd be happy to tell you. Well I actually had to get a heat transplant because I have Chagus disease. And I actually almost died of a seizure during the operation." Quatre squeezed her hand tighter. "But, I didn't die, and here I am. It takes more than that to bring Dorothy Catalonia down."  
  
"Yes, and that was immediately after I nearly died of a drug interaction." Duo and Hilde had shocked looks. "Oh no, I don't use drugs. But my ex girlfriend drugged me in an attempt to kill me, but my angle saved me. And here we are. Living life to the fullest!"  
  
"Well that's an inspirational story if I ever heard one." Duo lifted his drink as Hilde did. "I propose a toast to you guys, living past death and leading a helluva life!"  
  
"Here Here!" They banged drinks and each took a big gulp from them. Then Dorothy heard the cashier/griller call her name. "Oh Duo, yours must be ready now." She stood up, got the burger and gave it to Duo. Duo looked at it a little funny.  
  
"Huh? Uh, Dorothy, where's the bun? It's only on toasted bread. And where's the ketchup?"  
  
"Shhhh, Duo, don't say ketchup. They don't allow ketchup here. It spoils the tasted of the meat. And this is how burgers were originally made, so you can't spoil them, or everybody will get really off you."  
  
Duo's mouth dropped open "No ketchup? What the hell is this place?"  
  
Hilde put a hand over his mouth. "Duo, shut up. You're attracting many unwelcome stares."  
  
"Duo," Dorothy pointed up over the counter, "read that sign."  
  
"Ok, fine." He squinted. " 'This isn't Burger King. You don't get it your way, you take it my way or you don't get the damn thing.' "  
  
She motioned her hand. "See? Now stop whining and just try the thing. I guarantee you'll like it. Here Hilde, yours is ready." She slid her burger down to her as Duo took a bite. His eyes bulged out.  
  
"Oh my god, this is so good!!"  
  
"You're right, Duo. This IS good."  
  
Dorothy smiled. "I told you, didn't I?" She picked up hers and Quatre's burgers and they all ate. After they finished, they all went to the door and exited.  
  
"Well thanks for inviting us to come Dorothy. That certainly was worth it."  
  
"Yeah, Duo's right. That was excellent. Thank you."  
  
"Your welcome."  
  
"Well," Duo looked at his watch and showed Hilde, "I think, Hilde that we should get to the junkyard before it closes. We'll see you guys later, bye!"  
  
"Bye bye!"  
  
Duo and Hilde got in their car and drove away. Dorothy opened the car and they both got in. Quatre turned the radio on and asked her a question.  
  
"So, now where to?"  
  
She smiled mischievously. "That's a surprise. You'll see when we get there."  
  
****  
  
Rashid left the movies, very disappointed. He showed their pictures to the cashier and they had been there and left. He was trying to think where to go now. "I'll try the amusement park. But, my goodness it's so big, how will I ever look through the whole thing? And what if they aren't there? Oh well I have to try something." He got back in his car and drove to the amusement park. When he got to the gates, he looked up at the huge roller coasters. "Oh my goodness, I really hope Quatre doesn't go on any of those. It gives me gray hair just thinking about it. Oh well, I better start looking."  
  
****  
  
"The amusement park? W-what are we going to do here?" Quatre asked nervously.  
  
"What do you think we're going to do, we're going to play games, eat junk food and hang out."  
  
"Oh good." He breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Oh yeah, and we're gonna ride all the rides, especially the roller coasters."  
  
"Oh no." Quatre looked very scared. "Um, Dorothy, don't you know that I'm positively terrified of rides, especially roller coasters?"  
  
"Come on, you're a Gundam pilot. You've piloted mobile suits, and you're afraid of roller coasters?"  
  
"Well," He looked very embarrassed, "Well I've just always feared that they weren't safe. I guess it's a childhood fear."  
  
"Well then," she slipped her arm into his, "I'm going to help you conquer that fear today. Because we're going on those rides, and I'll hold your hand every second."  
  
"Thank you, but.I'd really prefer to just not go on the rides."  
  
"Ok, let me make a deal with you. If you go on all the rides I want you to, then you can pick the next place we go after this. Or, if you go on one roller coaster with me, you don't have to go on any more, but I get to pick the next place we go." She stuck out her hand. "Is it a deal?"  
  
He put out his hand to meet hers and smiled. "Deal. You always did have a good business and negotiation mind."  
  
She looked flattered. "Well, I don't like to brag, but yes you're right, I do, don't I?"  
  
The two of them wandered around for awhile Dorothy spotted the largest roller coaster in the park and two of them wandered around for awhile Dorothy spotted the largest roller coaster in the park and pointed it out to Quatre. "We're going on that one. Now remember our deal, you only have to go on this one. If you like it and go on more with me, you choose the next destination. But you have to at least go on one, and we're going on that one. Is that fair enough?"  
  
"Sure, that's fair." While his stomach was doing flip-flops, he tried very hard not to show it. "That's, uh, alright with me"  
  
"Good," she had an earnest smile on, "Let's go then."  
  
"Let's get this over with," he mumbled to himself.  
  
****  
  
Rashid had to stop and take a rest from walking around so much. He had hired a park attendant to search for Quatre and Dorothy while he got some rest and ate some cotton candy, though his mind was never off Quatre for a moment. At the moment, he was quite worried. He tried to think otherwise, but he couldn't help blaming Dorothy for this whole mess. He hadn't exactly ever forgiven her for stabbing Quatre that time on Libra. And since he was upset now, he wasn't thinking straight.  
  
"This is her fault, I know it is. He would have never gone off without telling me if it hadn't been for her," he mumbled quietly to himself  
  
'It's not entirely her fault; you know that. He didn't have to go along with her. They were in it together,' his mind told him.  
  
"But he's not very dominant when it comes to her, she knows that, and she took advantage of him."  
  
'That's not true. The two of them are in love, it's natural for them to want to go off alone.'  
  
"All I know is that he loves her. I'm not entirely sure about her intentions. What if she's using him like Sera did?"  
  
'She's not Sera. She saved him from Sera. She hates Sera, and would never want to be like her.'  
  
"I don't know about her, I just don't know."  
  
He turned his attention back to the park and looked around for the attendant he hired. "For her sake, I hope he finds them. Because if something happens to him.then I'm holding her responsible."  
  
****  
  
"Quatre? Are you ok?" Dorothy shook his hand, which was holding hers as they neared the front of the line. Quatre was still very nervous as they were getting closer to the ride. Since it had been a semi long wait, they had seen the ride go around many times.  
  
"I'm ok. Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."  
  
"Well, alright. But you'll love this; trust me. It'll blow you away."  
  
"Well I trust you. But only because I love you."  
  
She put her head on his shoulder. "Aw, thank you. I love you too."  
  
Finally, it was their turn to get on. "Ok, this is it." She put her purse in the bin and sat in the seat next to him. The buckled their seatbelts and she took his hand. "Alright, here we go." The car slowly started to move up the first hill. Quatre's grip on her hand tightened.  
  
"It's ok, I'm here."  
  
The car kept going up, and up, and up, and up. It seemed like it would never reach the top. Quatre looked out, and at this point he could see the entire park. He squeezed her hand a little tighter. Then, the reached the top. And for about two seconds, they were looking down at the first drop. In those two seconds, Quatre could have sworn his heart stopped. He was even more terrified seeing the hill they were about to plummet down. Then, the car made the first drop. It sped down the hill so fast that Quatre's hair was violently thrust back. Everyone in the car was screaming as they turned upside down, loop the loop and up and down hills. The ride lasted for about 20 exhilarating seconds. When the car stopped and rolled back into the garage, Dorothy looked over at Quatre, who looked like he was frozen. She shook his hand.  
  
"Quatre? Quatre?"  
  
His frozen look changed into a look of pure adrenaline. He let out a loud "Whoohooo!!"  
  
"So, what did you think?"  
  
He never looked so excited. "Oh my god, I loved that! I loved it, I loved it, I loved it! Come on, let's go on more!!"  
  
He was now dragging her around to find another ride. She was laughing. "You see? I told you so."  
  
"Come on, we're going on that one now!" He pointed to the other roller coaster.  
  
"Ok, ok." She giggled. "I guess you will pick the next place we go."  
  
****  
  
"Sir! Sir!"  
  
Rashid looked up to see the attendant he hired to look for Quatre. "Yes, what is it? Did you find them?"  
  
"No sir, I didn't find them myself. But I showed their pictures to many people and they said that they did see them in here recently."  
  
He smiled. "Good, at least we're getting somewhere. They are here. Now all we have to do is find them." He gave the man a 20-dollar bill. "Keep that, and I'm going to hire 3 more people to look, and we should track them down." He found 3 more attendants and started looking around himself. He walked around showing pictures and asking people if they had seen them. Everyone replied that yes they had seen them, but they didn't know where they went. "Do I need to look on the rides? Naw, Master Quatre is terrified of those. Then again, perhaps she forced him to go. I'll check either way." He started walking toward the nearest roller coaster.  
  
****  
  
About 4 hours and 7 rides later, Quatre was starting to wear Dorothy out. "Quatre, ok, you win the bet. You choose where we go next. Now can we sit down for a second?"  
  
"Aw, just one more ride?" He pleaded. She laughed at the irony. This was definitely a switch. He sounded like her begging. "Alright," she agreed. "One more ride. Then we can go somewhere you chose, alright?" She patted the bench spot next to her. "But first we take a breather."  
  
He sat down next to her and put his arm around her. "You know what?"  
  
"No, what?"  
  
"I think this is the most fun I've ever had in a single day." He kissed her forehead. "Thank you."  
  
She put her head on his shoulder. "Don't mention it, I was glad to do it."  
  
He leaned over and kissed her beautiful lips. "Have I told you that I love you yet today?"  
  
She smiled. "Hmmm, I don't remember. Why don't you tell me again?"  
  
"I love you. I love you so much. I don't know what I'd do without you."  
  
She stroked his hair. "You took the words right out of my mouth."  
  
"Then maybe I should put them back in."  
  
"Oh please do."  
  
They leaned in and kissed each other yet again. It was a soft, gentle and loving kiss. They stopped when they heard something that concerned them. It was coming from behind their bench. It sounded somewhat far away.  
  
"Excuse me sir, have you seen these two people?"  
  
Quatre instantly recognized the voice. "That's Rashid," he whispered to her. "What's he doing here?"  
  
"You got me," she whispered back. She pulled him off the bench and they hid behind a tree. "We can't let him see us. He'll make us cut our day short. Looks like we have to go now." She saw him pouting. She lifted his chin with her hand and looked into his blue green eyes. "Don't worry, we can come back when we sneak off again."  
  
"Ok, you're right. But we have to get around him." They started to go off in the opposite direction, but Dorothy pulled him behind the pole again abruptly. "No, wait. Look at that attendant. He has our pictures."  
  
"Rashid must have hired him to look for us too." He put his back to the pole. Then, he had an idea. "There's a store right there. Let's buy some big tee shirts, hats and sunglasses so we can get to the car."  
  
"Good idea. Here's an opening, let's go." The snuck between people in the crowd and made their way unseen into the nearest store. Dorothy saw a big tie-dye shirt and asked, "Can I get that one?"  
  
"Well you can get it for later, but you can't wear that now. It'll attract too much attention," He pointed out. She nodded. Then she picked up the shirt. "I still want it." Then she saw a dark purple shirt with kitties on it. "This should be good."  
  
"Yeah, that's good, it'll blend in. I'll take this one," he picked up a navy blue t-shirt. Then, they each picked out a white and blue baseball cap and two pairs of sunglasses. Then Dorothy picked out two key chains and they paid for everything. They again slipped through the crowd and got behind the tree. They slipped on the big shirts and put their sunglasses on. Dorothy put all of her hair in the hat and Quatre did the same. They nodded to each other, and strolled out in the direction of the exit. They couldn't avoid the glance of one of the attendants. He stopped them and asked.  
  
"Excuse me, but have you seen these two people?"  
  
Dorothy, thinking fast, put on a New York accent. "What's he taukin about? I dunno dis here people. How bout you, shuga?" She showed the pictures to Quatre.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Well sorry sweetie, we dunno where des two baurbie dolls are. Sorry to dissappoint ya." She gave the pictures back to the attendant and they walked away. Quatre was snickering a little.  
  
"I didn't know you could put on a New York accent."  
  
She shrugged. "I thought fast and I did it. Plus somebody on my soap opera has a jersey accent, so I sorta used that."  
  
Arms in arm, they both made it to the parking lot. They were both laughing.  
  
"That was a cheap accent I used, but I guess it worked." They made their way to the car, and took off the big t-shirts and the hats, but Dorothy kept her sunglasses on. She turned to him and lowered her sunglasses seductively.  
  
"So Quatre, you won the bet, where to now? I'll even let you drive." She moved into the passenger seat and he got into the driver seat.  
  
"Well, Dorothy," he flicked his hair back a little, "after all those rides, I feel like calming down. How about we go to a bar?"  
  
Her eyes widened a little and a pleased look came over her face. "Well I never thought you'd suggest that, but sure, let's go. Good thing the drinking age is down to 20."  
  
****  
  
"You let them get away! How could you be so stupid?" Rashid was screaming at the attendant that just realized the New York speaking couple was who he was looking for.  
  
"I'm sorry sir. They were wearing big t-shirts, hats and sunglasses. Plus the girl had a New York accent, so I figured-,"  
  
"You figured that couldn't be them? You should have looked closer! Well you don't get paid." Rashid was now sprinting off to the exit. He was pushing past people and even knocked an old lady down, which he quickly apologized for and helped her up. He got to the parking lot, and off in the distance saw a red 67 corvette driving off with two blonde people in it. He sprinted to his car and started to follow them. He followed them on the highway, off an exit ramp, but then he lost them. He got caught and traffic and the car went too far away to see.  
  
"Damn it! I was so close. Well I am going to find them. I will find them."  
  
****  
  
"Well, here we are."  
  
Quatre parked in a space and the both got out of the car. Dorothy stopped him for a second. "Ok, we have to decide. Who gets to drink and who is the designated driver?"  
  
"Whatever you want, it really doesn't matter to me."  
  
"Ok then, you drive and I'll have maybe some white wine, but not too much. Unless you want to drink, in that case I'll be perfectly happy with club soda. I just had some wine yesterday, so if you want to drink, then I'll drive."  
  
"Well, alright. I could go for some white wine. Just make sure I don't get too drunk."  
  
"Fair deal." They shook on it and entered the bar. There wasn't much going on, just some people playing pool. They took two barstools. They both decided to get club soda. They started to relax.  
  
"This is good, isn't it? We can just hang out and not worry about anything at the moment."  
  
"Yeah. This is the most time I've ever had to relax." He poked the ice in his drink and stared down at it. "Do you think we could talk about something?"  
  
She sipped some of her soda. "Sure. Anything."  
  
"Ok. Well, this is something I've been thinking about." He was slightly pink. "I'm very embarrassed about it, but, uh, um."  
  
"Oh just say it," she prompted him.  
  
"Ok. Well, later tonight, if you'd like," he grinned, showing his shining white teeth, "maybe we use that chained collar and whip you bought."  
  
She spat her drink all over the bar and looked very shocked, and at the same time slightly embarrassed. "How did you know about that?"  
  
"Well, I was looking for something and I happened to find it." He ran a finger down her face. "I'd be happy to use it tonight if you want."  
  
"Ooooo," she cocked and eyebrow, "I like the sound of that." She picked up his soda and sniffed it. "Are you sure that's just club soda? Is it spiked with anything?"  
  
He mocked an offended face. "And what's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"I just never thought I'd hear that attitude from you."  
  
"Well, now you have. And I think I'd like to use the collar and whip on you first." He teased her  
  
"Weeeeeelll," she snickered, "I know I like the sound of that. If you don't have to work when we get home that is."  
  
He brushed his hand. "Oh to hell with work."  
  
She almost mocked choked on her drink this time. "Oh my god, you swear now too?"  
  
"Well, you're the best bad influence on me ever." He raised his glass and met her eyes. "To you."  
  
She raised her glass in agreement. "I'll drink to that."  
  
They both sipped their club soda. "You sure you didn't want anything to drink like beer or anything?"  
  
"Nah, I don't need it."  
  
They both drank their drinks. "I have to go the bathroom. I'll be right back."  
  
"Ok sure." Dorothy watched as he went to the back. Then she got more club soda. Then, she heard somebody breathing very grossly behind her. She turned around on her stool and couldn't help make a face at the disgusting big man behind her. He was at least 6 foot, and was very fat and sweaty.  
  
"May I help you?" she asked annoyed, cocking her eyebrow.  
  
"Hey baby," he sat down in Quatre's chair and licked his lips. "What's a pretty little thing like you doin all by yourself in a place like this?"  
  
She couldn't help but look totally repulsed and made a gagging sound. "I'm here with my boyfriend, who's in the bathroom, and that's his chair you're in, so kindly," she gestured her hand, "please move."  
  
"Well I don't think I want to. You're such a sexy looking lady."  
  
"Ewww, go away you disgusting pig!"  
  
"Ohh, that turns me on baby. How about you ditch your boyfriend and spend the night with a real man?" He tried to put his arm around her, but she thrust it away violently.  
  
"Listen scumbag, I said no. Now leave me alone."  
  
"Oh I don't think so. I get what I want, and what I want is you." He pushed her down flat on the bar and got on top of her. She struggled to break free but he was so big. He was trying to pull off her shirt so she used her last resort and kicked him in the groin. Even that still didn't faze him. His hands were moving in places she didn't want him to touch making her scream in fury. Suddenly he broke his hold on her and slipped backwards. She then saw Quatre had hit him with the barstool. "Alright Quatre!" She spotted the rapier on the wall and attempted to pull it off. Quatre meanwhile looked deadly, like he would explode.  
  
"And if you EVER touch my girlfriend again, I personally promise to kill you!!"  
  
Dorothy succeeded in pulling the rapier off the wall and stuck it to his throat. "That's right, touch me again, loser man, and," she moved it down to his groin, "well you won't be a man anymore. Is that clear?"  
  
The frightened pervert nodded and went away to his own business. Quatre looked her over for about a second, then pulled her into a tight embrace. "Are you ok? Did he hurt you?"  
  
"No, he didn't, I'm fine. But you came just in time." She held him equally tight. "I even pulled a groin kicker, but I guess he had balls of steel."  
  
"Let's leave now. I don't anybody else to bother you." She nodded and they headed for the door. But they ducked behind a pool table when they saw Rashid enter. "Damn it. How did he find us here?"  
  
She sighed and rubbed her shoulder. "Look, why don't we let him find us? We're going home anyway, right?"  
  
He nodded, but watched her rub her shoulder. "Is something wrong with your shoulder?"  
  
"No no, it's just a little sore. I think I pulled I muscle pulling that rapier off the wall. It was pretty stuck on there."  
  
"Ok," though he wasn't sure that was it, they stood up and let themselves be seen. "Hello, Rashid."  
  
"Master Quatre!!" He ran up to him and gave him a hug, then pulled away. "Oh Master Quatre I've been so worried. I've been trying to find you all day."  
  
"We know, we uh, saw you at the amusement park." Dorothy said.  
  
He looked at her with less enthusiasm. "Yes, and as I heard you disguised yourself to not be noticed so you could sneak away, to this place. I suppose you picked this place, Miss Dorothy?"  
  
"Actually I did, Rashid." Quatre put in.  
  
"Oh, er, my mistake. I apologize."  
  
"That's ok," Dorothy said, but was slightly suspicious of the way Rashid looked at her. Was he angry with her? She didn't know, and at the moment she didn't' care.  
  
"I suppose you people have been drinking."  
  
"No actually, we just had club soda."  
  
"Oh, alright. Master Quatre, may I drive you home? It would take a great worry off my mind. Dorothy could drive the other car, couldn't you?"  
  
"Uh, alright, sure." She said a little confused.  
  
"But Rashid, I want to go with-,"  
  
"It's ok, Quatre." She was now looking at Rashid. She understood that he was upset with her. "You go with Rashid. I'll follow you guys home. He probably has business to discuss with you, right?"  
  
"Yes, that's precisely it."  
  
"But Dorothy."  
  
"Look," she took his hand, "Go with him now, discuss business and we can have more time to ourselves at home. Ok?"  
  
"Well, ok. But follow us close so I don't get worried about you, alright?" He stroked her hair.  
  
"Sure."  
  
The three of them headed out. Dorothy gave Quatre a hug and a kiss and waved goodbye as she got in the corvette and he got in the limo. She understood things now. Rashid was upset with her for taking him out today, but he didn't want to hurt Quatre so he didn't say anything. "Oh well, here goes nothing," she said as she turned the key and started to follow them home.  
  
Author's Note: I don't the corvette, it belongs to it's respective owners. I also don't own the movie Austin Powers: Goldmember. I just loved that movie so much I had to put it in. It belongs to Mike Meyers and probably other people. The burger place they go to for lunch is actually based on a place called Louis Lunch in New Haven. They really do make burgers in the original old-fashioned way as they first made them, and it's true they don't allow ketchup. And when Dorothy uses her New York accent because someone on her soap opera had a jersey one, I used that because the soap opera I watch, As the World Turns, has the character Rose, who has a jersey accent, so I based it on that.(Rose is one of my fav characters by the way, and Rose and Paul are my fav couple :-) I'd like to give credit to the creators and owners of all the references I used and to thank them. In other notes, what do you think? Please review! 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. The only thing that's mine is the plot ideas, and the character Sera.  
  
Author's Note: Thank you to my reviewers, I love you all! Especially you, Quintia, and this is for you. That's all from me, now read!  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part VIII  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
Quatre was awoken by the sound of birds chirping outside. He opened his eyes to find himself in own navy sheeted bed, but something was different. This time, he woke up next to a sleeping angel. He smiled in remembering the wonderful night they had spent together. He stroked her hair softly while she lay still and sleeping. They had made good use of the leather chained collar and whip he had found. He put his other hand to his neck, and chuckled slightly to discover that he was still wearing it and chained to one of the bedposts. He decided that he could stand being chained until she woke up. He gently slipped his arms around her, being especially careful not to wake her up. Last night had been the perfect end to the perfect day. He hadn't had so much fun in his whole life, and he owed it all to her. But something was in his head that he just couldn't shake. Why had Dorothy agreed to drive home by herself and let Rashid drive him home? Knowing her, he had expected her to insist that she drive him home. Why had she given in so easily? He thought he might have sensed a few bad vibes between her and Rashid, but he figured he must have been imagining things. Suddenly, she started to move and let out a yawn.  
  
"Morning sunshine."  
  
"Quatre? Oh, I'm so tired. I want 5 more minutes." She said sleepily as she stretched, closed her eyes and flopped down in his arms again.  
  
"Ok, whatever you want." He tightened his arms around her. "I guess you'll just have to wait to get your surprise then."  
  
Her eyes popped open and she swiftly sat up and turned to him. "Surprise? What surprise?" she asked eagerly.  
  
He smiled. "If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise."  
  
She was about to beg, when she spotted that he was still chained to the bedpost. She put on a cocky face, stood up, and ripped the sheet out from under him. She wrapped it around her self and watched as she scrambled for the comforter and put it around his lower half. She put on a teasing face. "You know, only I have the key to that chain. So unless you want to spend the day naked and chained to the bed, why don't you at least give me a hint?"  
  
He sighed, knowing she had the upper hand. He held the comforter to his body. "Ok, ok. I'll give you a hint. It has something to do with food. Now will you please unchain me? Not that I don't like this, but it's for night time, not day time."  
  
She picked up the keys and twirled them around on her finger. "Sure, I'll unchain you. Under one condition."  
  
"Which would be?"  
  
It was her turn to smile. "Which would be that you have to accompany me to the shower, and not mind being dictated. I hope you don't mind."  
  
He looked surprisingly pleased. "Mind? Of course I don't mind. I'd love to in fact."  
  
She chuckled. "Good." She turned the key in the slot and unlocked the chain from the bedpost. Then, she tugged on it. "Come on, this way." He followed, wrapping the comforter around his waist. She led him into the bathroom and shut the door. Then she opened it again, tossing out the comforter, sheet, and collar. Then she closed the door again. ****  
  
The cook was bustling about the kitchen, making sure everything was ready for the surprise Quatre was going to give Dorothy. He was trying to make sure everything was going to be perfect, just as Master Quatre asked. While he was making himself busy with this, Rashid was going over some stock files, looking a bit tired.  
  
"I don't see why you went along with this Pierre," he said while reading, "The whole thing is somewhat ridiculous to me."  
  
"Rashid," He replied nervously, "please don't act so indifferent. I'm doing what Master Quatre wants. That's what I get paid for after all. I think it's actually very sweet, what he's doing."  
  
"Sweet? Of course it's sweet on his part. He's always going out of his way for her, and what does she do in return?"  
  
Pierre was making sure he stayed behind the counter, keeping his distance as he was searching for something. "From what I've seen, I think she returns his favors to the best of her ability. I mean, she did treat on that day off yesterday-,"  
  
"Day off? That wasn't supposed to be a day off. Because of her forcing him to take that day off, who knows if we'll lose that important case, and that could cost the company a substantial amount of money! I don't think that was much of a day off if it means so much more work the day after, but that's just my opinion."  
  
Pierre looked at him a little strangely. "Rashid, what's the matter? You've never acted like this before, is there something wrong?"  
  
He sighed. "I'm sorry Pierre. I'm just worried, and sometimes I get like this when I get worried."  
  
"Worried? Worried about what? The company?"  
  
"No, not the company, about Master Quatre. He seems to always put himself second when it comes to her. I don't think he should neglect himself."  
  
"Um, isn't that what people do for each other when they're in love?"  
  
"That's what a person does when they're in love. So far it seems his affection for her is stronger than her affection for him."  
  
Pierre was nervously trying to make sense to Rashid. He didn't understand why he was saying this. He had always liked Dorothy, and he thought Rashid liked her too. "Rashid, am I to correctly assume that you don't like Miss Dorothy?"  
  
"It's not that I don't like her, because I do like her. I know she's a good person. But I just think she's a little selfish sometimes, and I don't like the way it affects Master Quatre." He looked up from his paper. "Please, Pierre, don't tell Master Quatre that I said this."  
  
"Don't worry Rashid, I won't tell him. I just think you're a little too critical of her. Try to lighten up a little about that."  
  
"Alright Pierre. If you say so." He trailed off as he heard giggling voices approaching in the distance, and of course he knew who it was.  
  
****  
  
Dorothy was giggling as Quatre led her blindfolded into the kitchen. He was laughing himself because they both kept stumbling over everything and ending up falling.  
  
"Quatre, just take this thing off. How about I promise to close my eyes?"  
  
"Well, no."  
  
She mocked an offended face, under the blindfold. "What, you don't trust me not to look?"  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
"Well, I don't blame, I probably would look."  
  
After much tripping and falling, they finally reached the kitchen. Quatre smiled at Pierre and Rashid as he sat Dorothy down at her place. He motioned to Pierre to bring her dish. Pierre gave one last look to Rashid before he brought the covered plate before Dorothy and made his way exiting the room. As he was leaving, he tapped Rashid on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow him, and he did. Quatre took off her blindfold and she saw a plate with a silver dome covering it. She turned to Quatre.  
  
"What's this?"  
  
He smiled. "Just look at it, you'll see."  
  
She picked up the silver dome and gasped at what she saw. It was a burger, the same style burger that she took him out to lunch to yesterday, and her favorite French pastry. "How did you get Pierre to make this?"  
  
He smiled and shrugged. "I actually just told him about it, and he knew what I was talking about. I guess he knew about old-fashioned food."  
  
"This is so sweet. Thank you." She leaned up and kissed him.  
  
"I should be thanking you," he said when they pulled apart, "for making me take that day off. I didn't realize how much I needed that."  
  
They both ate their breakfast and walked hand in hand to Quatre's office. They turned to face each other.  
  
"Well my sweet, this is where we part ways. I've got work to do now."  
  
"No no," she embraced him and pouted, "Can't we take another day off?"  
  
He chuckled. "No, I don't think Winner Enterprises could handle if I ditched it again. Plus Rashid would have a fit. And," he lifted her chin up, "yesterday you said if I took the day off with you I could back to work the next day."  
  
She squirmed, desperately trying to find a way out of what she said. "Uh, did I say that?"  
  
He nodded. "Yes you did. Do I need to quote you?"  
  
"No no, that won't be necessary." She sighed, looking defeated. "Alright, you win. I guess I have to let you go to work. But I don't have to like it."  
  
"Of course you don't have to like it." He stroked her chin. "I don't like it myself, but it has to be done. You probably have things to do with Romefellar anyway, right?"  
  
"Oh, right, that." She shrugged. "I guess I could. I should check anyway."  
  
"Good. Now after work, who's office should we meet in, yours or mine?"  
  
She thought for a moment. "I have an idea. Let's meet at the fencing arena."  
  
He looked slightly nervous. "Um, alright. If you say so."  
  
"Wait, I wasn't finished. And we face each other. Whoever wins," she ran a hand down his chest, "gets to do whatever they want with the loser."  
  
His eyebrows shot up. It sounded like a win situation either way. "Sure, I'm up for that."  
  
"Alright then, it's a date. I'll see you later then." She pulled him into a very passionate kiss before they separated and she teasingly waved goodbye to him. "Till then," she chimed. He stood there breathless for a moment, and as he went into his office, he thought out loud.  
  
"I have to work after that? It isn't fair."  
  
****  
  
Dorothy walked down the hall daydreaming about yesterday. "God that was good, I'm so glad I made him take a day off. But now," she lowered her head and sighed. "The party's over. It's back to the daily grind. Thing is," she bit her lip. "I don't know how to tell him. I mean, it's not like an everyday thing you tell your boyfriend your company is going to collapse." She was so busy mumbling to herself that she wasn't paying attention where she was walking and bumped into Rashid.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry Rashid. I was paying attention, excuse me." She started to walk away and then he started to talk.  
  
"I couldn't help overhear your mumbling. What was that about your company is going to collapse?"  
  
She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. She looked a little scared. "Please, don't tell him yet. It's not official, but it's inevitable. But please, let me tell him myself."  
  
He nodded. "Of course. It's your news to tell, not mine."  
  
"Thank you," she breathed. "Well, I guess I'll go now."  
  
"Miss Dorothy, would you mind if I had a word with you? Since, you obviously don't have to work right now."  
  
She was a little offended by the way he said that, but she didn't show it. She merely nodded and said, "Oh, alright, of course I wouldn't mind."  
  
"Thank you, Miss. Please follow me."  
  
"You can just call me Dorothy."  
  
"That's alright Miss. This way."  
  
She knew something wasn't quite right, yet she followed him anyway. He led her into one of the office rooms. "Please, sit down."  
  
She sat in the chair and looked a little suspicious. "Rashid, I don't mind coming here for a talk, but I would like to know what it is about, if you don't mind."  
  
He took a seat behind the desk and leisurely reclined it. "What I would like to talk to you about is that little outing you organized yesterday."  
  
"Oh yeah, our day off. That was so much fun, and Quatre really needed that. I hope you didn't mind."  
  
"I must be honest with you Miss Dorothy, I did mind."  
  
It hit her now. This was why he wanted to talk to her. He was upset with her, but couldn't say it in front of Quatre. She was a bit taken back, but prepared herself in a polite manner. "I apologize Rashid. I realize I should have consulted you first. I take full responsibility."  
  
"As you should, but I don't think that's good enough."  
  
Hey eyes widened at this point. "Rashid, there's no need to be hostile. I apologized for not consulting you before we left."  
  
He looked at her with stone eyes. "I know you're sorry about that, and I acknowledge that. But I know you don't regret that you took that trip out."  
  
"Well of course I don't. It was the most fun Quatre's ever had. You saw him; he was ecstatic. That was a huge release of tension for both of us."  
  
"Miss Dorothy, I cannot overlook the fact that you did put Master Quatre in unnecessary danger and you feel no remorse for doing so."  
  
She was starting to get hot under the collar. "Are you suggesting that I knew I was putting Quatre in a terribly dangerous situation purposely in hopes he'd get hurt? That is entirely wrong. I did not put him in danger, we just went out. Out like normal people do everyday."  
  
He put his paper down stared at her. "Need I remind you that Master Quatre is not just an ordinary person. He's the CEO of the Winner Corp. and a very important person. What happens to him is of very great importance, to this company and to me. He's like a son to me, and I don't want him to fall out with the wrong crowd."  
  
She took very much offense to this. "Excuse me? Are you suggesting that I'm not good company for Quatre?"  
  
"I actually was implying the bar I found you in, but your way agrees with the statement as well."  
  
She stood up and pointed a finger at him. "Listen to me, I will not sit here and be insulted by you, of all people. I never thought you would turn on me. What have I ever done to you?"  
  
He stood up to meet her gaze. Despite her ranting, he was still speaking very calmly. "I admit, you've done nothing to me personally. But let's not forget when you ran through Master Quatre. If I'm not mistaken you did that of your own free will?"  
  
She gawked at him. "How dare you! I've apologized to him so many times, to this day even! And he always tells me that I don't need to apologize to him, because he understands."  
  
"He thinks he understands."  
  
"And what is that supposed to mean? Listen Rashid," she put her hands on the table and leaned up in his face, "you've been talking in circles, and it's aggravating. Just tell me straight out, what do you want to say to me?"  
  
He scoffed, a little surprised by her reaction. "Are you sure you want to get me started?"  
  
She narrowed her eyes. "Oh please, get started."  
  
"Well then, if we're being totally honest here, I don't think I like you, Miss Dorothy. I still think you're the same person you were when you stabbed Master Quatre on Libra, a war loving, cockroach eye-browed freak. I doubt you even have genuine feelings for Master Quatre. I think you're a very messed up person Miss Dorothy, and you have no business using Master Quatre. I think you don't even care about him. You are a person with selfish ways. It's always about you. Did you know that the company lost half a million dollars profit yesterday because of you're spontaneous outing? Do you even care, Miss Dorothy? Or do you just think that you can live off of Quatre for the rest of your life?"  
  
She was so hurt by everything he said, yet her face showed only the anger. "Selfish? I'm selfish?"  
  
"You took up so much of his time when you were sick."  
  
She gaped in obviousness. "Well excuse me, I didn't intend to get a disease that's still going to kill me!!" she shrieked at him. Then she looked down. "You have no right to criticize me, you have no idea what I've been through. Do you know I wake up everyday and wonder if I'm going to die before lunch?" She raised her head to look at him again. "Do you know what that's like, always fearing that today will be your last day?"  
  
"In fact I do. I was commander of Master Quatre's army during the war. We were willing to give our lives to protect him. Yes, I did wake up and wonder if each day would be my last, so don't play the sympathy card with me."  
  
"I don't want any sympathy!!" She was baring her teeth. "I don't want to play with people. I don't want to hurt Quatre in any way and I don't want anything else but him! I love him, Rashid. I love him with all my heart. I would do anything for him. And yes, I would die for him in a heartbeat." She stood in front of him steaming, but standing tall. He was looking down at her, and giving her an evil eye.  
  
"So you say."  
  
"So I say what?"  
  
"So you say you love him, but I have yet to see any proof of that."  
  
"Why should I have to justify myself to you? You're opinion doesn't matter to me."  
  
"But my opinion does matter to Master Quatre."  
  
She looked at him strangely. "Is that a threat?"  
  
"It is only a statement. How you take it makes it a threat or not."  
  
She put her hands on her hips and looked at the ground. Then she looked back at him. "What is that you want?"  
  
"Plain and simple. I don't want you to endanger Master Quatre anymore."  
  
"I didn't endanger him."she protested.  
  
"To me you did. So here's the deal; you don't get in Master Quatre's way anymore, and I won't say a thing about Romefellar."  
  
"And if I refuse?"  
  
"Then I tell him about Romefellar."  
  
She thought for a moment. She hated this. This was a deal she didn't want to make. She hated not having the upper hand. Reluctantly, she stretched out her hand to meet his.  
  
"Alright, you win."  
  
"Good. Now go do whatever it is you do. And one other thing," she turned around as she was leaving, "this conversation never happened."  
  
"What conversation?" she said coldly as she walked out of the room.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
She slammed the door of the office shut and stormed through the hallway, not caring where she was going. She was just so infuriated. She decided to take a walk through the garden hedges to clear her mind. On her way she nearly knocked over a maid.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry Miss Dorothy, is everything alright?"  
  
"Peachy. Everything's just fan-bloody-tastic. If anyone wants to know I'm in the garden." she kicked the door opened and went outside. She found her way to the maze hedges and went inside them. "At least I can get lost in here." She made her way to the center of it, which was so far away from the house. She sat down in a corner, and from her jacket pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. She hated smoking. She had quit, but now she just needed something, anything to do. She knew she shouldn't, but she lit the cigarette and puffed on it anyway. She coughed quite a bit at first, but after the first few puffs she got used to it. "I know this can't be good, but right now I really don't care." She was debating amongst herself whether to tell Quatre about the "talk", 'More like brutal fight,' she thought, with Rashid. She had no idea that he felt that way about her. She was tough, and she knew she could handle his dislike of her. But, something was really bothering her. "Damn it!" she shouted, snapping her cigarette in half and throwing it to the ground and stamping it out. "Damn it, damn it! I hate being blackmailed, I hate not having the upper hand!!" she screamed to herself. She knew no one could hear her, so she let out her tension.  
  
"He had no right," she told herself as she got out another cigarette and lit it, "He had no right to say that to me. I should tell Quatre, I really should. But," She blew the smoke out of her nose. "I don't know, I just can't tell him. Rashid is a father figure to him, and I don't want to destroy that for him," she looked the other way, "at least one of us should. All I had was my grandfather, and it's not like he did anything for me." She scoffed at herself. "Man, I am screwed up if I'm talking to myself this much." She thought for a second, and then wondered out loud.  
  
"Am I really.selfish?" She had never thought so, but Rashid had planted the seed of doubt in her mind, and it was only a matter of time before it grew. After sitting there for a few hours, she took one last puff of her cigarette before she coughed so much she had to put it out. She looked at the sky and wondered, "Why can't we just be happy? We've suffered so much in the war." She stood up and headed back to the house. She smelled like smoke, but she didn't care. She just headed back to her office, the one place she knew she wouldn't be disturbed. She got in, slammed the door and threw her remaining cigarettes in the trash. She decided that while she was here, she might as well get some work done. She decided to first use her videophone. She sat behind her desk, dialed the number and waited for the other end to pick up. Relena's face appeared on the screen.  
  
"Yes, this is, oh Dorothy it's you." She smiled. "It's nice to see you, how have you been?"  
  
"Well enough," Dorothy lied. "Miss Relena, I wanted to-,"  
  
"Please Dorothy, we're friends here, drop the Miss."  
  
"Right. Anyway, Relena, I need to confide something in you. This is actually business."  
  
"I'm listening. This is a secure line so go ahead."  
  
"Alright. Well, no one knows this yet but the Romefellar Foundation is selling out. It's bankrupt."  
  
"Oh Dorothy," she looked so shocked. "I had no idea."  
  
"I know. The public isn't allowed to know yet. But me being the former CEO, well I would these things. Oh, and one more thing."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm really stressed and I started smoking again today. I promised to quit for Quatre, and I don't want to do it. Do you have any suggestions?"  
  
"Oh Dorothy, you really shouldn't smoke, especially with."  
  
"My disease, I know. Another reason why I can't afford to light up again."  
  
"Ok, let me think." She looked deep in thought as she lowered her head for a moment. "I do have a suggestion. First of all talk to Quatre about whatever's making you so stressed. Second of all, try to find a way to release stress so you won't have to smoke."  
  
Dorothy put a hand to her chin. "Sounds good to me. Thank you Miss, er, I mean Relena. Well I have some paperwork to do, so I'll say goodbye now."  
  
"Goodbye Dorothy, and take care of yourself."  
  
"Thank you, goodbye."  
  
She pressed the button and the image was off the screen. She put her head on her desk and took a nap. When she woke up, she looked at the clock. It was 6:30. Quatre should be finishing up now, she thought. She decided to go to the fencing room to tell him that she was too tired to do her original plan. She walked and walked until she reached the room. Quatre was already sitting in there, and he looked troubled. Being too tired to be cute, she just walked up to him.  
  
"Hey," she said gently.  
  
He turned to look at her. He looked very serious. He gave her a long embrace before he sat her down and looked her straight in the eyes. "I just found out some-wait, why do you smell like cigarette smoke?"  
  
She looked a little guilty. "Well, I was kinda stressed, and I did light up."  
  
"No, I thought you quit." He looked sad.  
  
"I did, and I'm not starting again. I nearly coughed my lungs out, I won't do it again I promise." She looked at his solemn face. "Quatre, what's wrong?"  
  
He took her hands and sighed. " I found out something. I got a call from the police."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"They did some tests, and Sera is pregnant."  
  
Author's Note: OOooo, complicated, huh? Please, give me feedback! 


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of it's characters, I only wish I did. But I don't, they belong to their respective owners.  
  
Author's Note:  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part IX  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
Dorothy shot back in her seat upon hearing the stabbing words. She felt like she had the wind knocked out of her. A look of disbelief plastered itself across her pale face. She looked beseechingly at Quatre.  
  
"P-Please tell me you aren't serious."  
  
He hung his head. He seemed so solemn.  
  
"Quatre," she gripped his hand tighter, "this can't be possible. There's got to be a mistake."  
  
"I'm afraid it's not a mistake, they tested her themselves. Sera is pregnant."  
  
The shock inside of Dorothy turned into cold hatred. She slowly let go of Quatre's hand and got up and hung her head over the fireplace, resting her arms on the mantel above it.  
  
"I don't believe this," she said quietly. She put her head up and rested her chin on the mantel. This was all too much for her. First Rashid had chewed her out, now this? Tears started to well up in her eyes. She couldn't hold it back any longer. She grabbed the swords on the wall and flung them across the room. Then she started to kick the rack of gear, sending it flying everywhere. All the while, she was screaming and sobbing at the same time.  
  
"THAT BITCH!! I HATE HER, THE WORTHLESS TRAMP!! IT'S NOT TRUE, IT'S NOT TRUUUUUUEE!! GO TO HELL SERA, GO TO HELL!!" She was kicking and throwing anything in sight. Quatre, very disturbed seeing her like this, went to try and stop her. He put his arms around her, restraining her, just after she had accidentally sliced her arm with a sword. He had to grab her from behind, so he held her arms back and tried to calm her down.  
  
"Shhh, it's ok. It's all right. Shhh, baby please calm down. Dorothy, shhhh, it'll be ok."  
  
She was still sobbing and trying to break free of his grasp, but her strength failed her and she slumped back in his arms, still screaming, but now not as loud.  
  
"No, it's not truuuue. It isn't, It can't be!! I hate her, I hate her!! Worthless bitch.." She turned around and started sobbing in his shoulder. He held her. He held her and rocked her gently, trying desperately to calm her down.  
  
"Shhhhh, it's ok, don't get upset. It'll be alright." His nerves were at their breaking point, but he put his feelings aside for the moment to focus on her. "Hey, come on. Don't get so upset. See you hurt yourself," he said noticing the cut on her arm. "Come on, we're going to bandage that. Let's go." He gently led her to the bench where he sat her down and bandaged her arm. She sat there looking in the other direction the whole time. She was staring at the mess she had made. With her other hand, she wiped her eyes.  
  
"You must think I'm crazy."  
  
He couldn't look up from cleaning her cut, but he answered her nonetheless. "Why would I think you're crazy?"  
  
"Look what I just did. Normal people don't do that."  
  
He finally could look up from her wound, and though he looked at her, she wouldn't look at him. "You were upset, and you had a good right to be."  
  
"That doesn't excuse what I did." She got up and started picking up the things she had thrown around and put them back where they were supposed to go. He got up and put then things in her hands back on the floor.  
  
"Leave it."  
  
"No, I-,"  
  
He took her hands and looked her in the eye. "No, leave it. It'll be taken care of."  
  
She felt reassured by him, and yet, it seemed something was wrong with him. But she felt she should just listen to him. She nodded and they walked to his office where they both sat down.  
  
"I just can't believe it," she said as she put her head between her legs.  
  
He sat at his desk and sighed. "You know, it seemed impossible to me at first, but I think I've accepted it now."  
  
She lifted her head up to look at him. "What?"  
  
He nearly laughed. "It seemed impossible, but I've accepted that I've been raped by a woman. It's a serious blow to my manhood, let me tell you."  
  
She looked rather frightened at him. He wasn't talking about this very seriously. "Q-Quatre, it's not a-,"  
  
"Not a serious blow to my man hood? Oh but it is, really. As you know I've never been the picture of masculinity, but now, this? Ha, I don't I'll ever live this down. But I do know I'm less of a man."  
  
She looked so shocked. She felt so guilty for flipping out when he was like this. She took his hand, but he didn't look up at her. "Quatre, please. You aren't any less of a man. She drugged you, it wasn't-,"  
  
"Please, please, spare me the comfort talk. It's ok, I don't need it."  
  
She was taken back. "I'm sorry, I-,"  
  
"Oh don't be sorry, you didn't do anything wrong."  
  
There was something about his tone that she didn't like. He didn't seem himself. He seemed, somehow very upset, yet he remained so calm. It scared her. But she herself was also very upset.  
  
"Quatre, please, don't keep your emotions in. Let them out."  
  
He gave her a skeptical look. "Really, and why?"  
  
"Well, because it's better than bottling them up."  
  
"Well excuse me, but if I let my feelings out now, then I'd probably do something like you just did. And I don't want to make another mess like that."  
  
She got up and walked around behind his chair. She put her arms around him to try to calm him down. But, much to her surprise, he brushed her arms off of him.  
  
"Not now, Dorothy, please?"  
  
She nearly felt tears in her eyes. He was so different. What was wrong with him? "What's wrong with you, you're so different."  
  
He was a little aggravated. "Gee I don't know, why do you think?"  
  
"There's no need to be hostile, Quatre."  
  
"I'm being hostile?"  
  
She was so hurt, but she refused to show it. She walked around and sat in her chair again. "Yes, you are being hostile."  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Quatre, I don't want to fight with you. Just let me in, I can help."  
  
"I don't think even you can." His beautiful eyes trailed off with his voice as he looked out the window. Dorothy had to admit that now she felt hostile. "I've made a decision." He blurted out.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Sera is going to be in jail, so they're going to put her baby up for adoption. I'm going to keep it."  
  
This felt like even more betrayal to Dorothy. She stood up and nearly yelled. "Excuse me?"  
  
He looked at her coolly. "You heard me, I'm keeping her baby. It is half mine."  
  
This time Dorothy the one to nearly laugh. Her nerves were just as raw as his. "Tell me you're kidding."  
  
"What's so hard to believe about it?"  
  
"You want to keep that child? It's the spawn of Satan, it'll probably try to kill you!"  
  
He sighed. "Dorothy, I'm disappointed in you."  
  
"What?"  
  
"The child did nothing. Sera did, but the baby is innocent. It can't help who its mother is."  
  
She gritted her teeth. "And? What's your point?"  
  
"I feel, a certain, obligation to this child. It's not his or her fault what Sera did."  
  
"You don't have an obligation to that kid! It's not your problem!"  
  
"You mean it's not YOUR problem, right?"  
  
She gawked at him. "Excuse me? What are you insinuating?"  
  
He got up from his desk and looked her in the eye. "Honestly Dorothy, you're being totally selfish."  
  
This absolutely struck a nerve with her. She threw her hands up and started screaming. "What the hell is this, Bash Dorothy Day and nobody told me?! Have you been talking to Rashid or something? Good god, I am not being selfish!"  
  
"Don't drag Rashid into this, he didn't do anything."  
  
As she opened her mouth she was about to scream the truth at him, that he did in fact do something. But in a split second, she caught herself. She just couldn't bear to tell him. She let out a long ragged sigh and looked away. "It seems to me Quatre, that you're being selfish."  
  
He widened his eyes. "Me? Oh please tell me how I'm being selfish."  
  
"You didn't talk to me about this. I'm a major part of your life too, and I'll have to deal with this. You could have talked it over with me."  
  
He walked out from behind his desk. "It wasn't your decision to make, it didn't concern you."  
  
"Oh but it did," she faced him, surprisingly not crying. "Make a choice now, Quatre. It's that baby or me."  
  
He looked rather shocked by her ultimatum. He stared at the floor for a moment, and then he went behind his desk. "You know the way out."  
  
She nearly burst into tears, but kept it inside. "You really want me to leave? Are you sure? Because if I leave I'm not coming back."  
  
He didn't look up from his paper. "I'm sure."  
  
She scoffed, trying to hide a sob. "Then I guess this is goodbye. We're officially breaking up then, aren't we?"  
  
He still didn't look up. "I guess so."  
  
She stood there for a moment, taking everything in. It just wouldn't sink in. Then, it hit her. She opened the door. "Goodbye then."  
  
"Goodbye." She slowly cracked the door and walked out. Then, she slammed it shut and ran down the hall, crying.  
  
"What did I do? Oh my god, what did I do?" She made it to her office and slumped down on her desk sobbing. She banged her fists several times on the hard oak, hoping to shatter it. She crumpled and shredded any papers that were in her fists paths. She slumped under her desk and buried her face in her knees. She sobbed and wailed, scratching her manicured fingernails against the wood, leaving deep scratch marks. All the while she rocked herself back and forth, thinking to herself.  
  
'Why? Why did he do that? Why did I give him an ultimatum? Why didn't he care about my feelings? Why didn't I care about his?' She banged her head against the inside of the desk to stop the thoughts racing through her head. After awhile, she stopped wailing and crying. She got up in her chair and wiped her eyes. She stopped thinking why, but now was thinking where she would go. She didn't have any money left, and she knew Relena had just left for a conference out of town. Besides, even if she was here, she didn't have the nerve to face her. She knew one place she could go; yet she feared it more than any place. But she knew that if she went here, it would be very easy for her to disappear, which was what she wanted. Nevertheless, she found herself packing her clothes and her disk information. She took her cigarettes out of the trashcan.  
  
"I'm going to need these," she said sadly to herself. She picked up her two big duffel bags and walked out of her room/office. She took out her cell phone and called a cab. She walked through the hallway, which seemed endless. She walked by a few servants, all of which who asked her what was the matter.  
  
"None of your god damned business," she replied coldly. When she reached the front door, she stopped for a second to look back on what she was leaving behind. A lonely tear made it's way down her porcelain cheek.  
  
"Well, Quatre, I guess this is it," she said, talking to no one but thin air. But she could almost see him standing before her somehow, and it killed her inside. "I guess if you love that child more than me, we have nothing to discuss. If I'm not that important to you, then fine!" she shouted, again at the air. "Fine by me! I don't care if I don't matter to you! But you matter to me! I still love you!" she shrieked. Then, she picked up her purse, stepped out of the door and slammed it again. It was pouring outside. Yet, she stepped out into it, embracing it. She felt it was entirely appropriate for her right now. She sat down on the steps, getting completely soaked. She brought her knees up, and sadly sang a familiar song.  
  
"Raindrops keep fallin my on head. But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turning red."  
  
****  
  
Quatre was sitting in his office, trying his hardest to pretend that nothing had happened. He was still in that terrible mood, but now he was starting to come back to his senses, though he didn't want to. His mood was making him a different person. He lifted his head as he heard a knock at his door. His heart leapt, despite himself. Was it her?  
  
"Come in."  
  
His heart sank again as he saw Rashid come in. "Oh hello Rashid. What can I do for you?"  
  
The tall man looked concerned. "Master Quatre, I heard from the servants that there was a big disturbance in here. Is everything alright?"  
  
He sighed. "I had a fight with Dorothy."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"It was about Sera's baby. I made a decision to keep it, but she doesn't agree at all. She was being totally insensitive to my feelings. She was being selfish." Even he was surprised to hear himself as he spat these words.  
  
"Well Master Quatre, I agree with you. She was being selfish, she should have considered your feelings, not just hers, like she always does."  
  
He looked at him strangely. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
Rashid looked taken back. "Well, Master Quatre, I was only agreeing with you."  
  
Quatre's eyes wandered as he stared out into space. He remembered something she said.  
  
"Rashid, did you say anything to Dorothy today?"  
  
He looked very uneasy. "Why do you ask that?"  
  
"I'm just curious, something she said. She asked me if I'd been talking to you when I called her selfish."  
  
He guiltily looked down. "Well, um, yes, I did actually."  
  
Suddenly Quatre grew very afraid of what he had done. "What did you say exactly?"  
  
"I, uh, told her that I wasn't happy that she took you on that outing, and, well, she provoked me you understand, and I did tell her what I thought of her. And Master Quatre I really never liked her."  
  
Panic rushed over him in a great wave. After what Rashid said to her, and what he said to her, "Oh god," he mumbled to himself. He looked at him. "Rashid, I'm very disappointed that you couldn't talk to me about that. You had no authority to talk to her like that."  
  
"Master Quatre, I apologize, but weren't you just telling her the same things? You did say that she was selfish."  
  
"Well I wasn't thinking. I was dealing with the fact that I was raped, and now a kid was coming, and," he nearly pulled his hair out, "I was so stressed I turned into a different person." He panted propping himself up on his desk. It suddenly hit him. "I have to apologize to her." He got up and ran out of his door.  
  
"Wait, Master Quatre!" Rashid was chasing him, trying to tell him something, but he couldn't catch up to him.  
  
Quatre sped down the hall until he reached Dorothy's room. He suddenly stopped. The door was open. He knocked. "Dorothy?" he called out gently. He opened the door and gasped to see that all of her things were gone.  
  
"Rashid!"  
  
"Master Quatre, I've been trying to tell you, the servants said they saw her with two duffel bags walking to the door."  
  
His eyes widened in fear. "Oh dear god no." He sped off to the front door, threw it open and looked around outside for anything. Her bag, a cab, or her. He didn't find either one. He wandered out in his big circle driveway, trying not to cry. But he couldn't help it. He slumped down to his knees in the pouring rain. He cried out in pain.  
  
"Dorothy!! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Please come back!"  
  
****  
  
Off in a remote corner of the city, deep in the slums, a man washed his face in his apartment. He was a tall, suave, handsome looking man. He had short light brown hair the hung slightly past his ears. He had a misty shade of gray eyes and a very lean muscular body. He looked himself over in the mirror, nodded at what he saw and closed his bathroom door. He cleared some of the empty food boxes off of his chair and sat down to watch wrestling.  
  
"Ah, just another day." he pondered. Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door. His eyes narrowed. "I swear, if it's that gang again."  
  
He grabbed a baseball bat and crept to the door. "Who is it?" His semi-deep voice called.  
  
"Let me in, dipshit." The other voice said. Immediately, he knew who it was. His cocky disposition showing, he threw the bat aside and teased the other voice.  
  
"Now now D-chan, you'll have to be nice or I won't let you in."  
  
"You leave me no choice." He jumped back as he heard gunfire and a bullet went through his door. "Now open the damn door."  
  
Getting a little nervous, he opened the door and found exactly whom he expected to find. "Dorothy Catalonia, why fancy meeting you here."  
  
She looked terrible, and she brushed past him and set her things down on the coach. "I'm going to be staying here," she coldly informed him.  
  
He wanted the upper hand, so he decided to push her buttons. "Hey now, this is my place, as you know. I keep it by running a respectable drug dealing. If you want to stay here," he snapped her bra. "You'll have to do whatever I say."  
  
She whipped her gun out and aimed it at his head. He backed away slightly. "Listen to me, Trevor. I'm calling the shots here, got it? And don't you dare touch me or," she aimed the gun at his groin, "I'll be happy to give you a sex change. Is that understood?"  
  
He was slightly afraid, but he didn't show it. "Alright, you've got me, for the time being. But mark my words, I'll make you my love slave yet."  
  
She scoffed, "Yeah right."  
  
He walked around her. "So what about your rich-bitch boyfriend, Quatre Winner was it?"  
  
"Quatre," her eyes were teary, but she wouldn't show it to him. "Quatre who?"  
  
Author's Note: 


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or it's characters, I just put them in my own twisted plot. The only character that I do own is Sera, but that's about it.  
  
Author's Note: Hmm, I don't have much to say. Just read and review, please?  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part X  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
On that fateful night, both Quatre and Dorothy felt themselves slowly dying inside. Their once perfect relationship was now in shambles, if not totally destroyed. Though they were worlds apart, they still felt each other's feelings, and they were the same as theirs, broken, betrayed, and empty. Quatre had returned to his giant mansion, and now, though it always had been huge, it seemed so empty. He got himself a towel and went into Dorothy's room. He was still crying. He had said things that he knew he shouldn't have said. He looked under her desk and was shocked to find fingernail scratches and a huge, head sized dent. He returned to his room. As his blue green eyes stared at the moon, far away across town deep in the slums, a pair of soft crystal blue eyes were doing the exact same thing, staring at the moon and thinking. Both of them were incredibly sorry, incredibly hurt, but also incredibly angry. While they both did miss each other terribly, they still each felt the same on the whole baby issue. When they both went to sleep, Quatre on his luxurious bed and Dorothy on a crappy coach couch, they both simultaneously said the same thing.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I know I'm right. Please come back to me."  
  
****  
  
Quatre awoke the next morning to see the sun shining in his bedroom window. He squirmed in his bed, trying to open his eyes and get up. He spoke.  
  
"Dorothy? Are you there?"  
  
"Hush," she said, putting a finger to his lips. He smiled upon seeing her. "Oh Dorothy, I had the most terrible dream. I dreamt that we had a big fight and you left and I was crying and-,"  
  
She smiled and took his head in her hands. "That wasn't a dream, sweetie, this is. I'm not really here." She leaned down and kissed him passionately. He kissed her back, not caring that she wasn't real, just wanting to be with her.  
  
"What, do you mean, you're not real?" He said, in between their caressing each other.  
  
"I mean, dear, that you're dreaming. I really did leave, but I can tell you where I went."  
  
They were still kissing when he pulled back. "Where did you go?"  
  
"I'm went to-,"  
  
Quatre jolted up in his bed, discovering he was alone. She had been just a dream. But that meant.He put his head in his hands.  
  
"She is gone."  
  
He stared sadly out the window. He was hurt so badly, and felt so guilty. But, in a way, he felt that he was right and she was wrong. "I know she was wrong, but so was I. I shouldn't have freaked out about it. I still won't give up that baby." He got out of bed and pulled his clothes out of his dresser and started to put them on. "I don't think I can get over her. God, I was so stupid!" He threw a vase against the wall and leaned his back against the other wall. "I never expected that she'd actually leave! If I thought for a second that she would," he hung his head. "Then I would have held my stupid tongue. And maybe she'd be here." He finished getting dressed and opened another one of his curtains.  
  
"Now I have no choice but to live without her now. Five bucks says I'll be dead by the end of the day." He stared outside, looking for something to look at to take his mind off of this. The only thing worth watching that he found were two birds cuddling together. But watching this made his heart ache, so he thrust the curtain closed. He tried to act confident and walked out of his room toward the kitchen. Every one of the staff members in the kitchen dropped what they were doing and stared at him as he entered. 'Great,' he thought, 'People stare at me in my own house.' He wiped his red- rimmed eyes and nodded toward the staff.  
  
"Hello. Please, don't worry about me, get back to your work."  
  
Everyone nodded to him and went back to their business. Though, Quatre felt that they were still looking at him strangely. He himself was trying his hardest to act calm, cool and collected, like nothing had happened. He picked up his tea and paper and turned to Rashid.  
  
"So Rashid, how's that big case coming? Is there anything else I need to do for it?"  
  
Rashid, obviously surprised by his not being destroyed, shook his head. "Why no, Master Quatre. Everything's finished for that. But, we could use some work with our stock investments."  
  
"Great, I'll work on that today before my meeting," he said casually as he sipped his tea, reading his paper. "I see the Dow Jones is down again, big surprise there, huh?"  
  
Rashid laughed nervously with him, though he felt very awkward doing so. Something was obviously wrong, but why wouldn't he show it? He was very worried to say the least. "Master Quatre, could I talk to you in your office after breakfast?"  
  
"Of course Rashid." His eyes finally looked into his. "There's something I want to talk to you about as well."  
  
He jumped inside at the cold glare of the young man's eyes staring into his. But he merely nodded in agreement. "Y-yes Master Quatre."  
  
Once breakfast was over, the tall dark haired man followed the shorter platinum golden haired one. As they entered his office, Rashid closed the door as Quatre sat down at his desk. "Please, sit down," he gestured.  
  
He obeyed, and sat down opposite of him. "Master Quatre, I wanted to ask you, well are you alright?"  
  
"Of course I am Rashid, why wouldn't I be?"  
  
He fidgeted in his seat. "Well, um, I was just worried about you. You know, after," his voice had a nasty tone at the next word, "Dorothy fought with you and then just up and left.I wanted to make sure you weren't to upset about it."  
  
Quatre didn't look at him while he talked, but after he was done he stared him in the eye. "First of all, I didn't like the tone of voice you used when you said Dorothy's name. Please remember that I still love her, and I will not tolerate disrespect of her from anyone, including you. Is that clear?"  
  
"Y-Yes Master Quatre."  
  
"Now, as you informed me last night, you also talked to her yesterday." He put his feet up on the desk. "Now I want you to tell me exactly what was said, and leave nothing out."  
  
Rashid gave a nervous sigh as he told Quatre everything about the talk with Dorothy, even how he felt about her. When he was done, Quatre put his feet down and leaned over his desk to make sure Rashid would get his point.  
  
"Alright Rashid, now listen to me. Are you listening?"  
  
"Yes Master Quatre."  
  
"I'm very disappointed in what you did. You had neither the place nor the authority to say such things. And another thing, you disrespected Dorothy. You do not have to like her. You can hate her if you want, it's your opinion, not mine. But even if you don't like her, I expected you to show respect to her. I trust you won't make that mistake again."  
  
"N-No Master Quatre, I give you my word that I won't do that again."  
  
"Good. Now the second thing, I want you to organize a search effort to find her. I have no idea where she went, but I will find her. You have to get search teams involved for me, can you do that?"  
  
"Um, of course I can, Master Quatre. But."  
  
"But what?"  
  
"Well, if she ran away like that, don't you think that for the time being she doesn't want to be found?"  
  
He banged his fist on the table, anger swelling within him. "I don't care if she doesn't want to be found, I want to apologize to her and let her tell me she doesn't want to be found! If she tells me herself she doesn't want to be found, then I'll listen to her, but I want to know that she's ok! God, if something happens to her, I'll never forgive myself." He breathed heavily for a moment before he turned his head back up to see Rashid. "Is that clear?"  
  
"Yes, Master Quatre."  
  
"Good." he logged onto his computer and focused intensely on the screen. "You may go now," he said without looking up.  
  
He stood up. "Y-Yes Master Quatre, as you wish." He turned on his heel and left the room swiftly. As he closed the door, he mumbled to himself.  
  
"I knew it, she's got him brainwashed." Luckily for him, Quatre didn't hear him. Quatre was only focused on his screen. He was using his videophone. The person on the other end picked up.  
  
"Hello, this is, oh Quatre it's you."  
  
"Yes, it's me. How have you been?"  
  
"Well I've been doing alright, and yourself?"  
  
"Well, Marimeia, I haven't been so well. You see, Dorothy and I had a huge fight, and now she's gone."  
  
The red haired younger girl put her hand to her mouth. "Oh no, I'm sorry."  
  
"Yes, and I figured since you're her only living relative, I should tell you."  
  
"Cousin Dorothy's gone? Oh geez. Well, Quatre do you know where she went?"  
  
He sighed. "I haven't got a clue. That's why I called you. I take it from your reaction she didn't go there."  
  
"No, she's not here. We actually haven't spoken in a few years. I'm so sorry."  
  
"It's alright, you don't have to apologize to me of all people. But, do you know any possible places she could have gone? Anywhere at all, like an old friend's or," he gulped slightly, "an old boyfriend's?"  
  
She thought for a while, and then lifted her head again. "No, I'm sorry, I don't know anyone she would have gone to. But she most likely would have had to go to someone, what with Romefellar going bankrupt."  
  
Hearing this violently shot him out of his dreary trance. "What? Romefellar is going bankrupt? How, when, what happened?"  
  
"Oh, she didn't tell you? Lady Une and I are big stockholders, so we knew about it since yesterday. Didn't she tell you?"  
  
He had a very hurt look on his face. "N-No, she didn't tell me ." he trailed off.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Quatre. I'll let you go now. Tell me if you get any update on her."  
  
The image on the screen instantly turned black. He put his head between his elbows as he put it on his desk, thinking terrible things.  
  
"She's gone, and she probably has no money. Where is she? What if something happens? Oh god, please protect her."  
  
****  
  
Meanwhile, across the town, deep in the slums, Dorothy was just waking up. She had the worst headache and she was so sore all over. Why was that? She didn't want to know at the moment She even refused to open her eyes. She heard some clanging and clattering noises coming from not too far away. She didn't even remember where she was. Where was Quatre? She opened her eyes to see the inside of her eyeshade. She moaned, half out of sleepiness, and half out of pain.  
  
"Uhh, God, my head."  
  
She lifted her eyeshade and much to her disgust, she was where she thought she was, in the cheap ass crumby apartment that belonged to Trevor. Suddenly, she looked at where she was. Wait a minute, what was she doing in his bed, and almost naked? She pulled the disgusting bed sheet over herself. She tossed out the eyeshade. She didn't even remember putting it on. Hell, she didn't remember anything from last night. Why was she almost naked? Her view was tainted again by the image of the bastard coming into view.  
  
"Hey hey Sunshine. How are you this morning?"  
  
"I feel like shit," she said bluntly. Every part of her body was in pain. Even.why did it hurt down there? She clutched her head. "What did you do?"  
  
He faked an innocent face. "What do you mean?"  
  
She was ready to spit nails at him. "What the hell do you think I mean you mother f**knig son of a bitch?! It's not perfectly natural that I woke up in your bed, not remembering anything with my whole body hurting and migraine that could kill an elephant." She looked down. Blood? 'Oh f**k,' she thought. She put her head down, almost laughing. "Trevor, just tell me what you did."  
  
"You sure you want to know?" He beamed annoyingly.  
  
She wanted to bite his head off. "You didn't by any chance drug me and rape me and that's why I'm sore, in your bed, with a migraine and there's blood everywhere, is that right?"  
  
He snapped. "Damn, you got it. And you put up some fight, but you were pretty good nonetheless."  
  
She gritted her teeth. "Fan-bloody-tastic. Just great." She saw her ripped clothes on the ground, but couldn't see her duffel bags. She gave him an evil look. "Where did you put my stuff, Trevor?"  
  
He smiled an annoyingly bright smile. "I just went through them before I shoved them in the closet." He pointed to the little door. "Good luck finding them again. Oh, yeah and I hid your gun, so you can't use that on me again." He turned and picked up a picture on the table he had found. "Lookie what I found. So this is you and your rich-bitch boyfriend, huh?"  
  
She gasped as he dangled the picture in front of her. She snatched it out of his hand. "Don't you DARE touch this. This is all I have left of him."  
  
He scoffed as he entered the kitchen, which was covered in junk. "He doesn't seem so great to me, just a little pretty boy who wouldn't last a minute out here." He looked at her, almost with a pinch of admiration. "But you can last out here, you're not like them."  
  
"Don't you tell me what I'm like and what I'm not like. That is so not for you to decide, you bastard." She got herself up and looked around the dump. There were old boxes of Chinese food and pizza everywhere. "Geez, would it kill you to clean this hellhole a little bit?"  
  
"Actually, it would, I don't do cleaning. And why should I?"  
  
She shook her head. She regretted ever coming here. But she knew she couldn't leave, she didn't have her gun or her stuff. She tightened the bloody sheet around herself and walked to the closet. She opened it and was knocked down by a stream of random junk, including several plastic bags. She dug herself out of the garbage heap to look for her duffel bags, being careful not to let the sheet fall off of her. As she found her duffel bags, she looked at the plastic bags with different colored powders and needles in them. She turned to him. "So, this is how you keep this apartment? Selling drugs? How low can you go Trevor, honestly."  
  
He flexed his muscles and came up from behind her and tried to put his arms around her. She struggled immensely, but he was a little too strong for her. He slowly tried to slip her sheet off, but she one-upped him by kicking him in the groin, sending him to the floor. She grabbed her bags and ran to the door.  
  
"You know what, I don't care if I have to face him, I'm not living here with you, the ex-boyfriend from hell!! See ya Trevor." She attempted to open the door, but was horrified to discover that she couldn't. She tried to kick it down, but it did no good. She grabbed the doorknob and tried to pull it and twist it with all her might. But it was in vain. She just couldn't open it. He weakly got up from off the floor and stumbled to where she was.  
  
"Ha, you thought you could leave, didn't you? Well sorry to say, you can't."  
  
She sent him a death glare, much like Heero's and screamed," Omae o Korosu!!"  
  
He scoffed, pulling her to him. "No, I don't think you're going to kill me, not without your gun. And besides," he looked down as she was smacking him, "where would you go? You told me yourself that you couldn't face anyone you knew, and here is the only place you could go to disappear. You can't go anywhere else, just face it."  
  
She pushed him up from off of her. She banged her fist against the wall in anger, but accidentally knocked a painting down, though she didn't care. She knew he was right. She had nowhere else to go.  
  
"Besides, you tolerated me once, remember?"  
  
He seemed almost sad, but she didn't care. She shook her head remembering the terrible memories of when they lived together. He was a controlling bastard and she couldn't stand him. She nodded nonetheless. "You're right, Trevor. I tolerated you once. But I never loved you. Sure, the sex was great, and I really liked you at one point, but you're a controlling son of a bitch, and I can't stand you. But I'm willing to compromise if you will. Don't drug and rape me anymore and," she swallowed hard, "I'll do what you want, if I feel like it." He looked skeptically at her. "That's the best I can do, take it or leave it."  
  
He shook his head, but nodded. "Alright, deal. Now if you'll excuse me," he took out his baggy pants and big trench coat, "I have to get to work. You can do what you want, but you can't leave this apartment complex. That's my deal, got it?"  
  
She nodded glumly. "Fine, if you agree to my deal only."  
  
He nodded again. "Fair enough. We lived together before, I bet we can pull it off again." He tipped her chin before he unlocked the door, smiled, and left. She was all alone now in this tiny spot of a room. She unzipped her duffel bag and pulled out some clothes. She gently unwrapped the sheet and was horrified to find bruises all over her body. Even.down below. She put on her clothes and made her way to the kitchen to try to salvage some edible food out the catastrophe of this excuse for a kitchen. She was shocked to discover that there was an unopened frozen dinner in his freezer. She popped it in the microwave, after searching for 5 minutes to find it. As it was cooking, she looked around the place.  
  
"Now I remember why I dumped him, this and the fact that he flung a knife at my head." She took out her frozen dinner. It seemed to be all right. She ate it savagely; she was so starving. After she finished, she threw the container in the room, as she couldn't find the garbage pail. She solemnly walked through the tiny speck of an apartment. This was hell. This was at least some form of hell. But she felt she deserved it. She felt terrible about what she said to Quatre. But she couldn't face him now. She had proven herself to be a selfish bitch in his eyes, so she thought. She was very surprised to find that the door was open. She thought about running away, but where could she go? She was in the slums now, and these thuds would have a field day with an unescorted woman. She walked outside on the balcony, to get some somewhat fresh air, but she still coughed when she inhaled it. She looked next to her and saw what looked like a hooker leaving the apartment next door. She was counting her money, and a very old man closed the door behind her. She saw Dorothy and smiled.  
  
"Hey there."  
  
"Hi."  
  
She walked up next to Dorothy and leaned on the balcony. "Whatcha doin here?"  
  
"I'm thinking."  
  
"Thinking?" she looked at her like she was crazy. "What do you need to think about? Oh never mind." She stared off into space with her. "You must be new around here. I'm Felinia. And who are you?"  
  
"Dorothy," she answered without looking at the raven-haired girl.  
  
"Nice to meet ya. Are you a hooker too?"  
  
She looked at her with a very strange face. "No, actually. I'm just sort of hiding out here."  
  
She motioned to the door she had just came out of. "You're living with Trevor?"  
  
"Yeah, you know him?"  
  
"Oh sure, I really know him. One of my best clients in fact." She said proudly.  
  
"Really," Dorothy looked at her. It didn't surprise her at all. "That's nice."  
  
There was a long awkward silence, then Felinia said, "Oh my gosh, I'm gonna be late for work. I guess I'll see ya later then." She bolted off without even looking back. Dorothy watched as Felinia got into a big black car with 3 men inside. "Good luck, whore..." she said as she went back inside. She sat down on the coach and stared at her picture. She looked so happy in it. 'Of course I was happy. I had Quatre then, he actually loved me. I bet he doesn't anymore.'  
  
"But I still love you, Quatre," she said to her picture, stroking his hair in it. "I'll always love you, no matter what."  
  
Author's Note: If you're wondering what it is I'm doing, well you'll just have to find out. But I won't post the next part, unless I get reviews from all you good people! 


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, don't sue me!  
  
Author's Note: Hello to one and all! I'd like to personally thank each and every person who reviewed this fic, and to those who gave me criticism I extend an extra thank you. If I may quote Lex Luthor from Smallville, (I love that show!) "Our critics are our friends. They show us our faults." I know it's been while since I've posted, but I've been through a tough emotional time. During that I lost almost all confidence in my ability to write, but luckily for everyone I'm back on my feet again, and posting the next chapter! I've bored you all enough, on to the chapter! ^_^  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part XI  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
For Quatre and Dorothy, the days after their fight began to grow into weeks. The weeks after grew into months after, and 6 months later, the two of them were still in their separate situations. Quatre was still in his mansion, doing his best to pretend that everything was perfectly fine. His company couldn't have been doing better. He was trying to convince his entire household that he wasn't upset and he was just fine. That was the farthest thing from the truth. Dorothy, on the other hand was not residing in a mansion with her own company. She was in a tiny crappy apartment, deep in the slums of the city. She resided with her arrogant ex-boyfriend Trevor, who refused to treat both his apartment, and her, with any respect. While she countered him and could fend for herself, she still couldn't keep him off of her all the time, especially when he tested his drugs on her. She had pretended to him, to her hooker friend Felinia, and to herself that she wasn't heartbroken, though it was entirely true that she was heartbroken. But by her nature, she usually had an easy time concealing her feelings. She had started smoking again, and stealing Trevor's drug money to buy them. Today, she was woken up by her craving for a cigarette.  
  
She violently jolted up on the coach that she had claimed. She breathed a great sigh of relief just to find herself on the coach, not in Trevor's bed. She stretched and grabbed her cigarettes, her hands shaking from withdrawal. Breathing heavily, she flicked her lighter on and puffed on the cigarette. She didn't even cough anymore. She just puffed away, while quietly getting up. She looked over to see that Trevor had a hooker in his bed, and they were both asleep.  
  
'Good,' she thought to herself. 'Better her than me in there, whoever she is.' She stared more intently, and smiled a little. 'Felinia, I should have known.' She dismissed the two, and went to the kitchen, which was now cleaned up, because of her. She grabbed some bread and put it in the toaster that Trevor had stolen. She really didn't care that he had stolen it; she just wanted food. After the toast had popped out, she snatched it and scarfed it down. After she was finished, she waited. She waited to see if she could keep the toast down. Lately, she'd been having trouble, it seemed, digesting food. She knew why, her disease. Digestive problems were among the symptoms. She sank down behind the counter, holding her stomach, trying with all her might to keep her food down as the familiar pains came back. Using willpower alone, it seemed to work. She puffed her cigarette and focused her thoughts, and the pain seemed to go away.  
  
She opened her eyes, still slumped against the counter. She knew she had to see a doctor; she had get treatment for this. The problem was, she couldn't leave the apartment complex. She had tried several times, but was always stopped by some goon friends of Trevor's. And, truth be told, she didn't have the strength to fight them. Besides she had almost gotten used to being here. She didn't like it, but she was used to it. Her attention turned to a noise she heard from the next room. An almost sick smile curved her lips. She knew it was Trevor and Felinia waking up, slowly.  
  
"Well, maybe I'll wake them up faster." She stalked into his bedroom and found them moving slightly. She got a very pleased look on her face as she looked at them, looked at her cigarette, and looked back at them. "How about a little secondhand smoke?" She moved over them, took a large puff, and then blew it out right in their faces. She chuckled cruelly as they started gagging and coughing.  
  
"Oh, sorry. Did I blow a little smoke on you?" she said in the fakest innocent voice she possible could.  
  
Trevor was coughing too much to scowl, so he only choked out, "Bitch."  
  
Felinia pulled the sheet over herself, and choked out a few words of her own. "Dorothy, why did you do that?"  
  
She smiled a very evil smile. "Because I'm sadistic when it comes to you two." She tossed the black-haired girl her skimpy clothes. "Here you go, Feline. Trevor, pay her so she can go."  
  
She slipped her clothes on, and as Trevor paid her, she tried to correct her. "D-chan, you know my name's not feline."  
  
She turned back to her, first looking very annoyed, then smiling a little as she walked up in her face and blew her smoke at her again. "You'll always be nothing but a gutter cat to me, you know that sweetie. Oh, and one more thing. Open your mouth." The stupid one shrugged, opened her mouth, and Dorothy delighted as she shoved her cigarette down her throat, making her swallow it. As the hooker panted and gagged, the snakelike blonde one slapped her hard on the back. "Don't ever call me 'D-chan' again. It severely agitates me. And when I get that agitated, good things don't happen. Have a nice day selling yourself to old married men." She waved goodbye to her as she walked out of the door, still gagging, and obviously not catching Dorothy's insult. Dorothy shrugged as she closed the door.  
  
"Oh well, not my fault she's so damn stupid."  
  
Trevor, who was now catching his breath again, put his pants on and went up to her. "Why the hell did you blow smoke at me?"  
  
She shrugged. "It's like I said, when it comes to you, I guess I'm sadistic." She reached into her coat pocket and lit another cigarette. He tried to grab it out of her hand, but he was too slow. He moaned. "Why do you have to smoke? It makes everything in here stink."  
  
She shot him a very obvious look. "Oh trust me, you already had everything stinking in here before I lit up."  
  
"I though Felinia was your friend."  
  
"She's just my friend because she's too dumb to get the fact that I don't like her.  
  
"Hey, aren't cigarettes bad for you?"  
  
She laughed at him. "I don't believe this. A drug dealer is lecturing me on the health risks of cigarettes. At least these are legal, unlike your stuff."  
  
He put his hands up. "Hey, I only deal the stuff, I don't use it."  
  
"You only use it on me, right?" she shot him a sideways look.  
  
He arrogantly smiled. "Well they work, don't they?" He tried to put an arm around her, but she held up the cigarette to his arm.  
  
"You see this? Do you want me to brand you with this?"  
  
He backed away, surprisingly smiling. "You see; this is why I have you around. You challenge me, and I challenge you. That's why we were together, and probably why we broke up."  
  
She put a hand up to stop him. "We broke up because you threw a knife at my head, or don't you remember?"  
  
He shrugged. "I was drunk, I didn't know what I was doing."  
  
She growled at him. "That's no excuse for trying to kill me, you arrogant trash!"  
  
Again, he was smiling.  
  
"What in the world are you smiling about?" she screeched at him.  
  
He slowly moved towards her. "I'm smiling because I remembered why I fell in love with you. That fire, that passion, that heated desire, that's what attracted me to you."  
  
She tossed the butt at him, and he flinched as it hit his arm, but it only made him smile more. "You see; this is why I respect you. This is why I feel attracted to you. I know you feel the same way."  
  
She scoffed at him. "Oh sure, like I could ever respect you or feel attracted to you."  
  
He shook his head, causing his hair to sway back and forth. For a split second, she was staring at it. 'If only he weren't so god dammed good looking!' Then, she caught herself, but he had already noticed.  
  
"So, you do feel attracted to me."  
  
She shook her head violently. But, she had to admit to herself that she had once thought she loved him. This was so hard. "I am in no way, shape or form attracted to you, Trevor. You're a deadbeat loser."  
  
He flexed his muscles and flicked his hair. "But, I'm dead sexy, aren't I?" She looked at him with disbelief. "Well, at least you thought so once, surely you can think so again, can't you?"  
  
She gawked, laughing at him. "I could never feel anything for you."  
  
"Maybe I can change your mind about that." He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a violent kiss. For a while, she struggled to get away, but, despite herself, the kiss awakened old wounds, old memories, and for a moment, she found herself kissing him back. When she caught herself she was ready to puke. She broke free of his hold and pushed him over, but the damage had been done. He was convinced now.  
  
"Aha! You could never feel anything for me? Then why did you kiss me back?"  
  
"I did not, you were imagining things," she desperately tried to defend herself.  
  
"Oh no, I wasn't imagining that. That was just like old times. You do want me, and now I have proof!"  
  
She was kicking herself for losing control. She really didn't want him. He disgusted her. She still loved Quatre. "You have proof of nothing. Now go to work selling drugs. I'm staying here to smoke. Like I have any other choice."  
  
He picked up his bags and pulled her close before he went out the door. "Oh alright, I'll go now, but tonight perhaps we won't need drugs." He bent over and kissed her. Little did he know, she stuffed the cigarette butt in her mouth, and when he kissed her, she shoved it in his mouth with her tongue and jammed it down his throat. He gagged, but smiled as he walked out the door, and closed it.  
  
She was so pissed off at herself. 'Why the hell did I kiss him back? It was a reflex, I wasn't thinking. It was the old me that took over.' She made her way to her coach, took out a cigarette and switched on the TV. She took her picture of Quatre and herself and put it in her lap.  
  
"Quatre." she had tears in her eyes. "You must hate me by now, but I still love you with all my heart. But, I don't think I'll ever have you again. I bet you've moved on by now, found some little preppy girl to replace me. I've accepted that I can't have you; I don't think I can ever go back to you. I know I was wrong to leave, but I stand by my decision. I can't be in the life of that baby. I just can't do it. Maybe I am selfish. Probably, after what everyone has told me. I'll never love another man. But." she stared off at the ceiling, "I can't help but wonder, is Trevor the best I'll ever get? I know he sucks, but there is worse." She shook her head. "No, I'm not taking Trevor as a substitute. I'll never be happy again unless I have Quatre. But, I'll never have him again. That means I'll never be happy." She flicked her hair and sighed.  
  
"Oh well, so what? I was never happy before I had him, and I can do it again. I can be the way I was. I can turn back into that war loving mentally screwed up person that I was if I have to. I can do it, that way I won't need him. That way I'll just live this life for the remainder of my life, which shouldn't be too long, living here, in my condition." She put her picture back on the table. "I'll learn to accept it, but I'll never let go of what we had together." She got up and started pacing around the apartment, still puffing on her cigarette. She wanted to go get something to eat, but her stomach pain was rearing its ugly head. She puffed harder on her cigarette, as if that would make the pain go away. She gritted her teeth and dealt with pain like she had been doing.  
  
"Damn it, damn it," she mumbled to herself. The pain was worse. She decided to go out the door to find the gutter cat. Maybe one of her 'clients' had a car she could go to the hospital in. She trudged outside and banged on the door next door.  
  
"Feline? Are you in there?"  
  
She waited for about two minutes, and sure enough, Felinia came out, looking very confused. "Dorothy? Why did you interrupt me? I was busy." She noticed that she was holding her stomach. "What's the matter?"  
  
"There's no time to explain," she was nearly keeling over. "Listen, does your client have a car? I need to get to the hospital, or at least a free clinic, and I need to get there now. Convince him to let me use his car, or you drive or something."  
  
The hooker looked very confused and worried. "Oh, ok. Sure, I'll do that." She dashed back inside the room, and a minute later came back with a set of keys. "I'll drive, I don't think you can." She grabbed her arm and rushed her down the stairs, and surprisingly enough, this time Trevor's goons were nowhere in sight, making it possible for escape. They reached a parking lot of several, what looked like to be stolen cars. Felinia threw her in the backseat of the big black car and got in the front."  
  
"Uh, Feline? Do you even know how to drive?"  
  
She shrugged. "I never learned how to, but I've driven plenty of getaway cars, so I can manage, don't worry." She turned back and smiled brightly before she turned the key and zoomed off onto the road. Dorothy was lying on the backseat, and all she could hear were brakes screeching and cars honking. 'Geez, five bucks says I'll be dead before I get there, with her driving.'  
  
****  
  
Quatre found himself sitting at his desk, staring out the window. It was a lovely day, but it didn't have any affect on his mood. He strained his eyes as he tried to focus on his computer. But his head wasn't in his work today. He was just, distracted. He was thinking too much. It was about her. He hadn't seen her for 6 months. The thing that most saddened him was that he figured that by now, she didn't want to be found. His train of thought derailed when his office door opened. It was Rashid, and there was someone behind him.  
  
"Hello Rashid."  
  
"Hello Master Quatre. Miss Mirabelle is here to see you." He smiled slightly as the beautiful strawberry blonde stepped into his office. "I'll leave you two alone," he said and instantly left. She smiled very sweetly as the two of them embraced.  
  
"Hi sweetie."  
  
"Hey Mira." She leaned up and gave him a kiss, then stoked his cheek. "How's my perfect boyfriend doing today?"  
  
He smiled. "Oh, I'm fine. How are you, dear?"  
  
She giggled. "Right now I'm perfect, because I'm right here with you. And, it's our one-week anniversary. You remembered, right?"  
  
"How could I forget?" He reached into his desk and gave her a wrapped box. "Happy anniversary."  
  
"Oh, it's so beautiful!" she exclaimed as she opened the box to reveal a gold bracelet. She pushed him in his chair and jumped on top of him. "Thank you so much," she cooed in his ear. He held her, and smelled her hair. 'Strawberries,' he thought. She sat up, put her arms around his neck and just sat there.  
  
"I'm so happy Quatre," she said sweetly.  
  
"I'm glad you're happy."  
  
"Aren't you happy too?"  
  
"Of course I am," he lied.  
  
"Good." She snuggled up to him, but he just kept his somewhat loose grip. "I love you."  
  
He hesitated. "Mira, sweetie, you know how I feel about that word. And it's so soon. We've only been dating a week."  
  
She pouted. "Ok, ok. I won't say that, yet." She was starting to lick his ear her phone rang. She sat up and answered her phone. "Hello? Does it have to be now? Oh alright." She hung up. "Sweetie, I have to go check on my work. Bye bye." She kissed him on the cheek and got up and perkily left the room, nearly bumping into the other person coming in. "Oh sorry Iria."  
  
The tall woman gave her a strange look. "Don't worry about it." She closed the door and gave Quatre a hug. "Hey little brother, how are you faring?"  
  
He sighed and sat back down. "Fine, I'm just fine."  
  
She ran a hand through her shoulder length honey blonde hair, and shook her head. "Oh no, I don't think so. I can see through you. I'm your big sister, I know these things." She looked at him imploringly. "Come on, tell me the truth."  
  
He was desperately trying to defend himself. "I am telling the truth. I am fine. I'm having a good relationship with Mirabelle."  
  
She got a disgusted look on her face. "Just between you and me, I really don't like her."  
  
He was a little surprised. "Why not?"  
  
She scoffed a little bit. "She's just too god dammed annoying. Way too perky for my taste." She looked him straight in the eye. "And, she's a bit of a ditz. I think you and Dorothy were better together."  
  
He cringed a little at hearing her name. He let out a breath and slowly said, "But, I thought you didn't like her, you know, jus like the rest of our sisters."  
  
She chuckled. "Oh no, I never disliked her. I always did like her because the two of you were always so good together, because you understand each other."  
  
"Correction, we understood each other. She's been gone for 6 months. And, I just got this letter." He handed her the piece of paper. It read:  
  
Hey, old lover boy,  
  
You don't know me, but I know you. Dorothy's living with me now, so you know, she isn't coming back. We're together again. See ya. .  
  
Signed, Wouldn't you like to know.  
  
Iria's eyes widened. "Who sent you this?"  
  
"I don't know," he said quietly, his eyes wandering. "I just found it in my mailbox, and there's no return address."  
  
"Surely this could be just a trick," Iria said, trying so hard to rationalize everything.  
  
"Surely it could. But it could just as surely be the real thing, from her," he gulped. "Boyfriend or something."  
  
She tipped up his chin. "She wouldn't replace you with someone else." She sat back in chair, and looked rather disappointed. "But it seems you've already replaced her, with, that little peppy bundle of energy."  
  
He gawked. "I am not replacing her! I could never replace her. Mira and I are just starting to try things. We're not very serious."  
  
She let out a deep sigh. "Quatre, wake up! You're dating her on the rebound, and that's not being fair to either one of you! Can't you see, she's gagga for you, but you're still in love with Dorothy. I shouldn't have to tell you this, but it looks like you're too blinded to see it!"  
  
He reared his head back at his sister's outburst. He opened his mouth to retort, but let his head hang. "You're right, you know. I still do love Dorothy. But that isn't Mira's fault. Dorothy was the one to leave."  
  
"Does Mira accept the fact that you'll be keeping Sera's baby?"  
  
"She does, actually. She thinks it's admirable of me to do that, and very responsible." His eyes looked very sad. "Dorothy didn't think that."  
  
"Dorothy was naturally a little biased, don't you think? It's her evil cousin that's the mother after all. Hell, if I was her I probably would have said the same thing."  
  
"Iria, please."  
  
She was about to open her mouth again when her cell phone started to ring. She looked at him. "I'm not done with you, little brother."  
  
She stood up, turned around and answered the phone.  
  
"Hello? Doctor Winner here?"  
  
She listened for a long time, and her eyes widened. "I'll be there in a few minutes." She snapped her phone shut and spun around to meet Quatre's eyes. "I just got a phone call from the hospital, they need me there."  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"It appears there's a very ill person there transferred from a free clinic. They wouldn't give me the name, but she has Chagus disease, and is having serious complications. Sound familiar?"  
  
Quatre gasped. He felt his heart shudder violently within his chest. This couldn't be happening. This just couldn't be. He looked at his sister. His eyes told her everything he was feeling. She pulled his arm as she ran to her car. "I have an ambulance, we'll turn the siren on to get there faster. I know it's Dorothy, we'll talk about it later, we just have to save her now."  
  
He felt nearly dead as she rushed him in her ambulance and it zoomed away. 'Hang on, Dorothy,' he thought. 'Please, hang on. Let me apologize.'  
  
Author's Note: Hmm, what havoc have I brought onto these people now? And what will I do next? Oh I have plans, but that's not until next chapter! 


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or it's characters. I only own my own twisted plot ideas, and Sera.  
  
Author's Note: Well it's been an interesting ride so far, hasn't it? Let's see what I can do now.  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part XII  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
Quatre tightened his hands as he gripped his hair. All the excruciating waiting was nearly killing him. His knees were tightening on his head. All the while he slowly rocked himself back and forth. Screaming thoughts were racing through his head. He honestly had never been so scared in his entire life. He felt so much, fear, worry and guilt. He thought horrific things. He kept imagining that Iria would come out and tell him that Dorothy was dead. 'Oh Lord, please don't let her die. I still love her. I love her more than anything in the world. And she doesn't know. She probably thinks that I hate her now. Please, don't let her die.' He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see his best fried Trowa. He sighed, and swallowed.  
  
"Hello Trowa."  
  
He sat down next to him. "Quatre, are you alright?"  
  
"No, I'm not alright. I haven't seen her in 6 months. It's been 6 months since we fought. And I don't want to see her."  
  
"Dead." Trowa said bluntly. He nodded. "I know. Of course you don't want her to die, you still love her."  
  
"Of course I do. I don't want the next time I see her to be in the morgue."  
  
Trowa patted him on the back. "Well Iria's in there working on her now, and I'm sure she'll be fine. I'd trust Iria with my life."  
  
"I know; I would too." He suddenly became very silent. The whole waiting room was filled with an earsplitting deafening silence. Trowa could sense that he needed to be alone.  
  
"I'm going to go now. If you need me, you know where to find me."  
  
"Thank you." He watched his brown haired friend walk away. Then, he was looking at the people in the waiting room. They were all so different. But there was one who really looked out of place. A black haired girl dressed in very skimpy clothes was sitting across from him. She was staring at him very intensely. He looked away, trying to ignore the stare. But when he looked back, she was still staring at him. Very vexed, he picked up a magazine and tried to focus on that. But the burning stare of the unknown girl was starting to get to him. He set the magazine back on the table and started staring at her.  
  
"May I help you?"  
  
She still was staring at him. "Who are you?"  
  
He shot her an annoyed look. "Why should I tell you that? I don't even know you."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but you remind me of somebody."  
  
"And who would that be?"  
  
She flicked her bouncy hair. "I think you remind me of a picture I saw once."  
  
He shook his head and sighed. This girl obviously was not the brightest light of the bunch. In fact she seemed quite ditzy. "I remind you of a picture?"  
  
"Do you know D-chan? I think I saw you and her in a picture that she has."  
  
His interest was peaked. Could it be she was talking about her? "This person you call D-chan, is her name Dorothy?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah, Dorothy. She's always looking at that picture of her and the blond guy, and the blonde guy looks like you." Then she made the connection. "Hey, I think that blond guy is you!"  
  
He felt a form of relief. She knew Dorothy. He instantly walked across the room to sit next to her. "You know Dorothy?" he asked eagerly. "Dorothy Catalonia?"  
  
"Yeah, I know her," she said proudly. "She's my friend. But she is kinda mean to me." She pouted a little. "She shoved her cigarette butt down my throat. I thought that was mean."  
  
Quatre was laughing silently. 'This is definitely the same Dorothy we're talking about.' "Yeah that was mean, but where has she been? Has she talked about me? My name's Quatre."  
  
She thought. "Well, she's been living in my apartment complex, that's how I know her. You're Quatre? Yeah, she talks about you."  
  
"What does she say?"  
  
He was interrupted by his sister appearing over him. He stood up and looked at her with pleading eyes. "Iria, is she alright? Did she make it? Will she be alright?"  
  
"Whoa, slow down little brother." She put her hands up. "Anyway, it was a very close call, but she's fine now. She's even awake, and quite the rebel at that. I told her to stay in her bed and rest. And wouldn't you know it, she's ignored me, got up and sat on the window and started smoking a cigarette. I swear, she won't listen to anyone. You can see her now Quatre. Follow me."  
  
As he followed his sister, he didn't exactly know what to feel. He was so relieved that she wasn't dead, but what would he say to her? Would an apology be enough? He shook his head as he found himself outside her door. Iraia slowly knocked on the door.  
  
"Who is it?" an annoyed voice chimed. Quatre felt his heart lift just from hearing her.  
  
"Dorothy, it's Iria. Can I come in?"  
  
"Oh. Ok sure if it's you." She opened the door and Quatre had to stop himself from gasping. She was sitting at the window smoking, but she looked different. She was so thin. She was skinny to begin with, but now she seemed to be nothing but a gaunt skin wrapped too tightly over a skeleton.  
  
"Uh, Dorothy?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I have a visitor to see you."  
  
Still staring out the window, she shook her head. "Iria, I told you I don't want to see anyb-," she stopped herself as she looked over and saw Quatre. The inside of her mouth suddenly went dry and she dropped her cigarette. "Quatre. Could you give us a minute, Iria?"  
  
She smiled. "Of course. Call me if you need anything." She closed the door. Outside the door, she crossed her fingers. "Please, they have to make up now. Here's hoping." She walked down the hall.  
  
Inside the room, there was a large amount of tangible tension hanging in the air. The two just stared at each other, unmoving, barely breathing. They were both looking into each other's eyes, listening to the words neither of them could say. She bent down and picked up her cigarette, her eyes never leaving him. Taking a risk, he slowly started to move toward her.  
  
"Hi," he said meekly.  
  
"Hi." she said back quietly.  
  
"Um, are you alright?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I'm fine now, thanks." She didn't sound annoyed anymore. Her voice had such genuine emotion in it. "They said I almost died, again." She laughed slightly. "But hey, you know me, life on the edge."  
  
"Yeah, that is you." He finally reached the window. "Is there room enough on this sill one more?"  
  
"Oh yeah, sure. Here," she scooted down and patted the spot next to her, and he took it. They both stared at the sky. It was getting dark. The stars were staring to come out. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"  
  
He looked at her. "Yeah, beautiful."  
  
Realizing he was talking about her, she looked back at him slowly. "What, are you kidding me? I look like crap right now." She gestured to her hospital gown and messy hair. He took her hand.  
  
"No, you don't look like crap. You're still just as beautiful to me."  
  
Like old times, she was getting lost in his eyes, but she caught herself and looked away. "Oh, well you always did say that."  
  
He took her other hand. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry."  
  
She didn't look up. "Sorry for what?"  
  
"For the fight we had. I turned into somebody else. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say all those things to you."  
  
She looked up at him again. "Really?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. But I-,"  
  
He put a hand to her pale lips. "You shouldn't be sorry, you didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"I've missed you," she said as she played with his hair. It felt like silk caressing her hands. "I've missed you so much."  
  
"I've missed more than I can say."  
  
They were leaning in to kiss. 'This could be it, we could put this all behind us.'"So you're sorry about saying you'd keep that baby?"  
  
He stopped. "What?"  
  
Her lips fell short of his. She gritted her teeth slightly, almost laughing out of cold irony. "That's what you're apologizing for, isn't it?"  
  
He was growing increasingly uncomfortable. "Um, I was apologizing for telling you to leave." He leaned in to try to kiss her again. She put her hand up and stopped him.  
  
"Wait a minute, you aren't seriously telling me you're going through with that plan of yours, are you?"  
  
He hesitated before he blurted out "Yes, I am."  
  
She stood up and walked over to her bed, not letting him see her contorted angry face. "You're still keeping Sera's baby?"  
  
He was a little annoyed. "Yes, I am."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, it's still my child as well. I feel I have an obligation to the kid."  
  
She shook her head let out a sigh. "I don't believe this."  
  
"Don't believe what?"  
  
"That you're still keeping that demon spawn of Satan."  
  
He put his hand on his temples. The tension in the room was escalating with the tension in his head. "It's like I said, Sera is the one that's evil. The kid did nothing."  
  
"So, you're just apologizing for kicking me out, right?"  
  
"Well, I guess so."  
  
She looked at him with disbelief. "And that's all you want to say to me?"  
  
"Uh," he was desperately trying to make sense of this. He thought he did what he was supposed to do. "As for apologies, I don't feel I need to apologize about keeping the baby."  
  
"I see, so we're back where we started."  
  
He sat down on the foot of the bed. "Dorothy, listen to me. I know we don't share the same opinion about this, but we didn't share the same opinion during the war, and we found that we understood each other." He stroked her cheek. "I know he can get past this. I'm willing to, if you are."  
  
She was using all of her will to not fall into his arms weeping. She hated looking weak. "Well, I guess I'm willing to try." she leaned into him, and they were near kissing. Her warm breath blew gently onto his face. Even though it smelled like smoke, he didn't care. He was just so glad he was this close to her again.  
  
"We can get past this issue." He tipped up her chin as they were within an inch of each other's lips. They both wanted this so badly.  
  
"I know we can, I love you." His heart raced as he heard her say that. When they finally reached each other's lips, they wrapped their arms around each other.  
  
"I love you too. I was so afraid that you didn't anymore."  
  
"I could never stop loving you."  
  
They ended up caressing each other and laying down on the hospital bed. They both felt a wave of passion surge through them. Then, they heard a knock at the door. She promptly sat up and he quickly shoved his loose tie in his pocket and stood up. She looked at him with a pout. He nodded and whispered. "I know."  
  
"Who is it?" Dorothy called out.  
  
The door burst open and who should enter but Mira. Quatre had to keep his face from falling. "Oh, eh, Mira. What are you doing here?" Dorothy looked at the strawberry blonde girl, and then sent him a slight glare.  
  
She ran up to him and planted a kiss on his lips as she threw her arms around his neck. Dorothy's mouth dropped open. "Oh Quatre, I was just worried about you. I didn't know where you were, and Rashid told me you came here with Iria." Still hanging onto him, clinging to his neck, nearly cutting off his breath. She cast her vibrant eyes down on Dorothy. "And who is this?"  
  
"Uh, this is Dorothy, she's-,"  
  
"Please to meet you," She stuck out her hand, grabbed Dorothy's and shook it. Dorothy looked at her like she was the plague. "I'm Mira, Quatre's girlfriend, and you are?"  
  
She felt her heart get punctured. 'Girlfriend? His girlfriend? He's replaced me already?' She stared at Quatre. She didn't know what to think, or what to say for that matter. "Well, I'm an, uh,"  
  
"She's an old friend of mine," He quickly put in. He kicked himself inside the minute that he said it.  
  
Her eyes burned at him. 'Old friend? That's all I am to him now? And old friend?'  
  
"Oh, I'm very happy to meet you. How are you? Well I guess you can't be too good if you're here, right?"  
  
"A ha, yeah, that's right. I nearly died, but don't worry I'm used to it." She was sending Quatre a death glare. 'How could he do this? He didn't even tell me he had a girlfriend. He was just kissing me. He just said he loved me, damn it. How could he?!'  
  
Quatre was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He saw how hurt Dorothy was, and it killed him. But, Mira didn't do anything wrong. He was the wrong one, but he didn't know how to fix it. He was still staring at Dorothy, his eyes desperately trying to speak to her the words he couldn't say. She just pulled her sheet back over her legs, but as Quatre did, he noticed bruises on them. He tried to speak, but she cut him off.  
  
"Yes, uh, Mirror, or something? I'm so happy for you two."  
  
"Well I hope you get better soon," she said sweetly. Her voice was more sugar coated than a candy apple.  
  
"Thank you," she put on a very fake smile and was thinking 'I hate her, I hate her, I want to rip all that pretty hair off her little head, I want to punch out those perfect white teeth.'  
  
Then, the door burst open again; only it was Trevor that entered. "Hey hey, D-chan. I didn't know you came here, why didn't you-,"  
  
Her eyes lit up evilly as she grasped his shirt collar and brought him down on the bed. He couldn't have looked more confused, but she knew exactly what she was doing. 'I'll give him a taste of his own medicine.'  
  
"Oh Trevor, I'm soooo glad to see you!" She grabbed his face and pulled him into a long and fiery kiss. All the while, she had to keep her gag reflex in check as he jammed his tongue down her throat. When she finally released him, she put on the best performance that she could.  
  
"Oh darling, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you I came here, but you had already gone to work."  
  
She put on a huge fake smile. It seemed Trevor was taking this a little too seriously. 'Damn it, why did I do that?'  
  
"Oh, Trevor sweetie, stop grabbing me in front of people, you know my rule baby." She lightly tapped him on the nose, though she really felt like ripping his dirty hands off.  
  
"Oh, uh, sure D-chan, I remember." He sat back only far enough to shoot a dim whisper in her ear. "What the hell are you doing? You're never this passionate about me? What's up?"  
  
"Oh, Trevor, stop teasing." She shot a whispered reply back to him. "Just cool it, grabby. I'll explain later." She stared at Quatre with a 'how-does- it-feel-now' look on her face. "Quatre, this is Trevor. We're living together. Trevor, this is my old friend Quatre, and his harlot, oops, I mean his girlfriend, Mirror, was it dear?"  
  
Mira, though a little ditzy, had caught the insult. "Ah it's Mira, actually, short for Mirabelle. Quatre loves my name, don't you sweetie?" she ran a hand down his chest. She was obviously up for war against Dorothy.  
  
Quatre seemed dumbfounded. "Huh? Oh yes, Mira. Your name is beautiful."  
  
"See, he does. He's so sweet, that's why I love him. And he loves me, don't you?"  
  
He put her hands down. "Um, Mira? Could you give Dorothy and I a moment alone? Trevor, if you wouldn't mind?"  
  
"No, I don't care. See ya in few, D-chan." He and Mira both left the room. When they had closed the door, Quatre dropped his jaw and threw his arms out.  
  
"Who the hell is that guy?!"  
  
She sent him an obvious glare. "He's my ex-boyfriend. I'm living with him."  
  
"You replaced me?"  
  
She stood up, annoyed. "Oh look at the pot calling the kettle black! What about that Mirror chick? I guess she caught my insult, not as dumb as I'd thought."  
  
"Please, don't say anything about her. It's not her fault it's mine."  
  
"Well at least you admit that."  
  
He was as hurt as she was, but he wouldn't show it. "Well what about Trevor? Looks like you've moved on too."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
He gawked at her. "Maybe? What do you mean maybe? You just kissed him right in front of me! And he." He shuddered. "He was groping you!"  
  
"And Mirror kissed you right in front of me. I guess that makes us even."  
  
He turned away to look at the floor. "Where does that leave us?"  
  
She went back to her hospital bed. "I think it leaves us, as you so kindly put it, as old friends. The door is over there. Hey, isn't this a switch, this time I'm telling you to leave. Now I guess we are even."  
  
He just stood there. He didn't know what to think. He was angry, hurt, and feeling like a dipshit. "Ok then, I'll leave. But one question before I do?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
He swallowed hard. "Well, you look like you haven't been eating or anything, and I saw bruises on your legs. Does he treat you alright?"  
  
"He treats me just as I deserve to be treated. Now leave."  
  
"Fine." He walked out the door and closed it. Mira was waiting for him outside.  
  
"So Quatre honey, are you done here?"  
  
He sighed as he took one last look at the door. Trevor was now going inside. "Yeah, I'm done. Let's go."  
  
Author's Note: Oh no, what have I done? I bet you people hate me now, don't you? Why don't you review and tell me? I accept everything. 


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own didley squat, so don't sue me, please!  
  
A/N: Thank you again to all who reviewed.  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part XIII  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
"Ma'am, please, I don't think I can let you go in there. She's just gotten out of the asylum for the criminally insane, it wouldn't be safe."  
  
Dorothy shook her head as the prison guard tried to back her down. She was dead set on seeing Sera, and no one, especially not him, would tell her otherwise. "Listen to me, Mr. You are going to let me in there, you understand? I promise not to sue if she kills me or hurts me or anything like that. Do you understand, sir?" She took a puff of her cigarette and blew it in his face. "Do I make myself completely clear?"  
  
He coughed, waved her smoke away and sent her a snarling glare. "Excuse me Miss. I don't know who you are, but you are not about to intimidate me. I am the authority here, and you are not."  
  
Narrowing her eyes, she realized that sheer intimidation alone would work on this goon. It looked like she had to break out the facts on the matter. "Ok, dually noted. You're the authority figure, not me. But, there is something that I am that you are not."  
  
"And what would that be? Rude? Obnoxious? Pushy? Ugly?"  
  
He had just gotten too personal. Her confidence had taken a slight blow. 'Yeah, I know I'm rude, obnoxious, and pushy. But ugly? I know I don't look great right now, but ugly? Quatre always made me feel so beautiful.' She shook her head and glared back at him.  
  
"Besides all that. I'm one of Sera's last living relatives. I'm her immediate first cousin. Check if you don't believe me. My name is Dorothy Catalonia. I am also related to Marimeia Khushrenada. She will vouch for me. Go ahead and check."  
  
The guard was very taken back. He clearly hadn't expected her to give him reasonable proof that allowed her to see Sera. "Well, Miss Marimeia is very big contributor to this facility. Alright, I'll lead you in." He reluctantly opened the door and she followed him in, thinking to herself.  
  
'He he he, I won, he lost, all's good.but, am I really ugly? No, best not to think about that right now. Stay focused.' She followed him down the hallway until they reached a door. Clearly it had a distinction among the others.  
  
"You see, she's in a special unit because she's pregnant, so until she has her baby she'll be kept in her own cell. You can go in." He held the door for her and she walked in, flicking her hair at him. 'That's for the ugly remark.'  
  
She slowly entered the dark hollow space. It seemed so depressing in here. 'Good,' she thought. 'Sera deserves any bad treatment that they give her.' She slowly approached the bars and squinted her eyes. She was searchng for her. She spotted a figure lying on a bed. First she looked out the window and confirmed to herself that the guard wasn't near here. Smiling, she took her fist and started knocking on the metal bars, making lots of noise. The figure on the bed obviously woke up and let out several moans.  
  
"Oh, not now, I need my rest. My baby needs rest. Please can this wait?"  
  
"Oh no, Sera, this can't wait. After all they don't give me a lot of visiting time."  
  
The figure got up off the bed and headed over to the bars. It was Sera, although she now looked a lot less happy about her ingenious plan of getting pregnant. Her abdomen looked big and swollen. She had bags under her eyes and looked so exhausted. And apparently seeing Dorothy didn't make her too happy. "What the hell do you want?"  
  
"Aw, what's wrong, cuz? Pregnancy a little tougher than you expected?" She was so delighted to see her suffer. She put her hand on the bars and leaned her face in. "So, I see you and your devil spawn are just peachy."  
  
She tried to scratch her eyes out, but Dorothy was too quick for her. "Uh uh uh, now now, I don't think you should get into any more trouble. And killing me would only put you in here longer."  
  
"Dorothy," She held her back, as it was killing her. "Just skip your sadistic crap. What do you want?"  
  
"Aw, but my sadistic crap is fun." She smiled. "Oh well, if you insist. I came here to see my favorite cousin, one of the two cousins that I have left. What? Why are you looking at me like that Sera? Is it because now I have the advantage in this battle and you don't? You can't stand not having the upper hand anymore than I do, right? It's probably in our genes."  
  
Sera was looking hard as nails, when suddenly she realized something. "Where's Quatre?"  
  
Dorothy was caught a little off guard, but she didn't show it. She still tried to keep her ground. "He's working, where do you think? But he's not here now, I am. You have to deal with me now."  
  
"Why didn't he come with you?"  
  
Dorothy was getting very agitated, and she knew that's what Sera was trying to do to her, so she used her all her willpower to keep her cool exterior. She pointed a fingernail at her. "He was too busy. But I wasn't, so I figured I'd pay you a little visit. You know, to see if you'd had a miscarriage or something. But," she looked her up and down, "I guess I hoped too much. There is always the possibility it'll be stillborn."  
  
Her mouth was hanging open in absolute disgust. "How can you say that about my baby?"  
  
"Hmm, I don't know, let me think," she said sarcastically. "Oh yeah, that's right. Because you raped Quatre to get that demon child. Actually, I wanted to ask you something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Really, is that kid Quatre's?"  
  
"Well I certainly did the necessary thing to get it from him-,"  
  
"I mean, I know you're a slut. You sleep around with everyone, and don't deny that. That kid could be like one 500 guy's kids, couldn't it? You know I'm right."  
  
"Um, no, you're not right. This baby is his. I made sure to stop my birth control when I, I mean when we-,"  
  
"Ok, that's enough." Dorothy put up her hand to stop her. The thought of that mental picture she just couldn't take. "I took health class in school, I don't need a description of what you did. I'm going to demand a paternity test when that kid is born, you understand me? That's what I'm going to do."  
  
"Oh, so then the rumor isn't true?"  
  
Her insides turned cold. She threw a cigarette on the ground and stamped it out, imagining it was Sera and her baby that she was stamping out of existence. "What rumor?"  
  
"Well," she went in closer to the bars, grinning wickedly. "I heard a rumor that you and Quatre broke up. Now, if that's true, then, what right do you have to demand a paternity test, if you're not his significant other anymore?"  
  
This was a stab below the belt to Dorothy. "Well," she still maintained her usual attitude, but now with more difficulty. "The two of us had a bit of disagreement. We both decided it was in both of our best interests if were, took a break, so to speak. Though, I fail to see how this is any of your concern, Sera."  
  
"Do you know what I think?" she instigated.  
  
"Do I have to know, because I really don't care."  
  
"I think he only went out with you because you didn't want to marry him. You didn't want to marry him, did you Dorothy? Or is that what this whole 'disagreement' as you put, is about?"  
  
This was definitely a little much for her. Marriage was always such a touchy subject for Quatre. He had told her that he rushed into it with Sera, and he got his heart broken in the process. She knew his sensitive opinion on it. But, still, he had never asked her. "Well I don't see significance in revealing my opinions to you, but so you know, I'm just very considerate to his sensitivity on the subject."  
  
"Oh yeah, sure, that's just code talk for that you're offended that he never asked you. And what about his new girlfriend?"  
  
Anger was slowly taking the place of her calm exterior. "What about his new girlfriend? And how do you know about her anyway?"  
  
"Weeeeeell," she gripped two of the bars with her hands and leaned in. "Let's just say I've heard about her. She's the complete opposite of you, isn't she?"  
  
"My word, Sera, can't you think of anything else to say?"  
  
"And I guess you know what that means. It means I did you two a favor."  
  
She growled slightly. "A favor? And how did you do that, may I ask?"  
  
"In a way, this was testing your relationship. If the two of you aren't strong enough to get through this baby issue, then you're not meant to be together."  
  
She couldn't hold her ground anymore and gave way to her vile anger. "Test? You think that was a test? That was a sabotage! It's all your fault that we broke up! It's because of you that I'm living with Trevor and he has a new girlfriend! It's all your fault you bitch!"  
  
As Dorothy panted and screamed, Sera smiled. "You see, I won the physiological battle. I just got to you. And I know Quatre's going to keep my baby. But, they'll have to deal with me too. I'll still get my life that I wanted."  
  
"You're crazy," she panted, "You're nothing but an insane whore, and you're not good enough for him!"  
  
"Neither are you. You're not good enough for him either, according to him."  
  
"Excuse me? According to him? And just how would you know that?"  
  
"It's common sense Dorothy," she took a finger and tapped her temple. "If you were good enough, or enough for him for that matter, then why would he get another girlfriend, and so quickly?"  
  
Try as she might, she couldn't come up with a good enough retort to Sera's remark. It had hurt her, and she hated to admit that Sera had that effect on her. "You're backwards logic makes no sense."  
  
"Oh but I think it does. And you know it does. That's why it bothers you."  
  
"Who said it bothers me, do I look bothered to you?"  
  
"Uh, yeah you do, D-chan."  
  
She let out a growl. "Why does everyone insist on calling me that!?"  
  
"I am getting to you then, aren't I?"  
  
She was, but Dorothy refused to admit it. "I still say that this is all your fault. It's your fault that I had that fight with Quatre. If it weren't for you then-,"  
  
"Then you wouldn't be reduced to what you are now, right? A cigarette smoking, anorexic looking piece of gutter trash, is that correct?"  
  
She sighed and looked her in the eye. "Pretty much."  
  
"So you admit that you're a cigarette smoking, anorexic looking piece of gutter trash?" She was a little surprised that she actually agreed with her.  
  
Dorothy just nodded her head. "Yeah, I know I am. Tell me something I don't know."  
  
"Are you trying to trick me?"  
  
"No, I agree. I am all that you said. I admit it."  
  
Sera was starting to get angry now. "You're not supposed to agree with me, you're supposed to loose your cool and get pissed off!"  
  
"You mean like you're doing right now?"  
  
She banged her fist on the bar, and recoiled in pain. Then, she smiled evilly and started to scream. "SECURITY! SHE'S TRYING TO KILL ME! SHE WANTS TO KILL MY BABY TOO! HELP ME! HELP ME! OH DEAR GOD PLEASE HELP ME!"  
  
Dorothy gawked at her. "You selfish bitch. How dare you. Everything is always about you, isn't it?" Dorothy hated herself for being reduced to say swear words, but no other word was fit to describe Sera right now.  
  
The guard came in and took Dorothy by the arms and dragged her out, slamming her against the wall. "What did you do? Didn't I tell you not to upset her?"  
  
"No you didn't actually, and she's lying. I didn't touch her, and why would I want to?"  
  
"Ah, you're all the same. You gutter whores are all alike."  
  
Dorothy was about to open her mouth when she heard a voice behind her.  
  
"Bernard, why did you say that to this nice young lady? That's not very professional now is it?"  
  
He sighed and bowed his head. "Miss Iria, I mean Doctor Winner. I'm sorry, I apologize."  
  
Dorothy turned around and saw the tall dirty blonde woman that had been her own doctor. She smiled down at her.  
  
"Iria? What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, Dorothy, I'm working prisoners health today, but I'm just finishing up here actually. How about we go out to lunch?"  
  
"Uh," she didn't exactly know what to say. "Iria, you want to go to lunch with me of all people? I'm your little brother's old girlfriend after all." Even her own words made her so sad inside. 'Quatre, I miss you.'  
  
But Iria shook her head and put a hand on her shoulder. "Dorothy, whether or not you and my brother are together, I still have always liked you for some reason. And now, well if you come to lunch with me then I'll pay. C'mon, what do you say?"  
  
Dorothy just stood there in shock. Besides Quatre, no one had ever been that nice to her. She just nodded in reply.  
  
"Good. Let's go then."  
  
****  
  
"So Dorothy, I don't mean to pry, but where exactly have you been staying?" Iria said as she sipped her tea. She had taken Dorothy out to a very nice restaurant. Dorothy was too busy looking around. She hadn't been in a place like this for a while. "Dorothy? Dorothy? You-hoo, earth to Dorothy?"  
  
She turned back to her. "Huh? Oh sorry, Iraia. Um, well" she gripped her teacup tighter. "I've kinda been living with someone."  
  
"A guy, right?"  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
She smiled and shook her head. "Honey, I have 28 younger sisters. I know everything about dating angst. It's written all over your face. Now just tell me, who is it?"  
  
She let out a long breath. It felt good to talk to someone who was so understanding. "You don't know him. He's my ex-boyfriend Trevor."  
  
"Hmm. And, are the two of you an item again?"  
  
"Oh hell no. I just had nowhere else to go, and, well, I felt so terrible about the fight I had with Quatre, that I didn't see anywhere else I could go. I still hate him with a passion." She spit in her tea. "I can't stand him, really."  
  
"Then, if you don't mind me asking, why are you still living with him?"  
  
"Well I," she looked at her lap. She was so embarrassed. "I have no where else to go. Romefellar collapsed and left me with literally nothing. But I'm too proud to go to anyone else. I feel terrible, but I feel less terrible comparing myself with Trevor."  
  
She stirred her tea around with her spoon. "Ok, I see. Why did you break up with him in the first place?"  
  
"Oh, he got drunk and threw a knife at my head."  
  
Iria spit her tea out in her cup. "He did what?!"  
  
She nodded, as if it were nothing. "Yeah, nearly killed me too, but oh well, I've cheated death on more then one occasion. It'll catch up with me someday, but not for the moment."  
  
Iria was gawking at her. She had played the therapist to 28 girls full time for their love lives and this still surprised her. "Dorothy, sweetie, you can't stay with him. You have to move out."  
  
"I already explained, I don't have any money."  
  
"Then I'm giving you some, and a job."  
  
"Iria, I can't accept that."  
  
"Oh yes you can, because I'm insisting and leaving you no choice."  
  
"Why are you doing this anyway?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I mean," she sighed, "why are you helping me? That Mirror chick is probably going to be your sister-in-law, not me."  
  
She leaned across the table and motioned for her to do the same. "Come here, closer, yeah that's it. You want to know something? I hate Mirror or Mira or whatever her name is! She's just a little hussy. She doesn't understand Quatre at all." She looked kindly at Dorothy. "But you and Quatre understand each other. I know that. The two of you were so much happier together." She watched in disgust as Dorothy lit up a cigarette. She reached across, snatched it out of her hand, snapped it in half and threw it to the ground. Dorothy's eyes widened.  
  
"Excuse me, why did you do that to my cigarette?"  
  
"Because it's going to kill you."  
  
"Newsflash: I have a disease that's going to kill me anyway. What are a few less day, weeks or months?"  
  
"Dorothy, I can't believe you're saying that!"  
  
"What is it with you?"  
  
"Well," she gestured her hands to try to make her see her point. "You should make every moment in life count. Every day can be the best day if you make it."  
  
She made a face. "And why are you quoting a greeting card?"  
  
"Because it's the truth. I-," Her beeper started to go off. "Damn, they need me at the hospital." She turned back to Dorothy. "Listen Dorothy, I'm going to help you whether you like it or not." She handed her a piece of paper. "There's my cell phone number. Call me, please, or I'll find you again. But I need to go now." As they both stood up, Iria reached out and hugged her. "I know I have too many sisters, but you're like one that actually doesn't get on my nerves. See you later."  
  
As she sprinted off to her car, Dorothy walked out after her, a little stunned. 'Did she just say I was like a sister to her? Wow, no one's ever said that to me.' She walked out to the street curb and looked up at the buildings. "This place is so big, and yet I don't feel so alone anymore." She turned around and saw none other than.Mira? What the hell was she doing here? She was smiling as she approached Dorothy, but Dorothy just tried to smile, while half scowling.  
  
"Hey there Dorothy. How are you doing, sweetie?"  
  
"Yes, Hello there dear Mirror, was that it dear? Well I'm all right myself, how are you doing?"  
  
Apparently this dignified approach wasn't what she expected, but her voice sounded as if she did, and her gestures appeared confident as well. "I'm feeling just ever so wonderful. I'm meeting Quatre for a bit of lunch."  
  
She nearly swallowed her cigarette. "Quatre? Oh yes, Quatre. How is he doing?" She was politely trying to pry her needed information out of her.  
  
Mira swayed her purse back and forth, rocking on her stiletto heels. "Oh he's doing wonderfully, now that he has me. I don't think he's ever been this happy in his whole life, at least that's what he told me." She had venom in her eyes. "You know, I think he's finally gotten over you."  
  
Dorothy nearly choked on her cigarette smoke. 'So, she's out for blood. Then I guess I have to do the same.' "He's over me? Why whatever do you mean?"  
  
"Don't think I'm as cutely naïve as I look, Dorothy."  
  
"Really? Gosh you didn't look like that at all to me."  
  
"What?"  
  
It was the blond one's turn to spit the venom. "Yes, it's true. You don't seem cutely naïve. To me you seem just an air headed and a harlot."  
  
"O ho, really?" She rounded at her, not pleased with being insulted by her of all people. "At least I'm not so stubborn and pigheaded that I left him over a baby argument."  
  
"You know what Mirror? That issue between us does not concern you."  
  
"Oh but it does, because I'm going to be the best stepmother in the world to that baby."  
  
'Think Dorothy, think.' She was rapidly trying to think of an execution plan. She spoke the first one that came to mind. "You're going to be its stepmother? Isn't that lovely."  
  
Her eyes cocked. "Excuse me?"  
  
Dorothy lovingly put a hand on her shoulder, much to Mira's disgust. 'This plan should at least plant the seed of doubt.' "I think it's incredibly admirable that you're going to do the thing that I couldn't."  
  
Mira, not knowing any better at the moment, was somewhat flattered by her sudden compliment. "Why, Dorothy, that seems so nice of you to say."  
  
"Oh, you're kindness just moves me, that's all." She brushed her blonde hair out of her face to fully expose her fake smile. 'This should be good.' "I mean, I really couldn't handle it. It would just be way too weird on the kid if I became his or her stepmother."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Oh don't you know? The mother of the soon to be born child is my first cousin Sera."  
  
Mira was taken back and somewhat shocked, in a disgusted way. "Oh my goodness. I didn't know that."  
  
Dorothy was laying on her false charms thickly. "Yes, it is true. You see now why I couldn't handle it now, don't you? I would be an aunt AND a stepmother. That's really just too much stress. Of course, I'm still the little darling's biological aunt. Then we will be practically related, won't we?"  
  
"Uh, oh I uh guess that would, um....."  
  
'Rejoice, rejoice, the plan has worked.' She delighted in Mira's complex frustration. She gave her a hug. "We'll practically be sisters. I'll drop in to see little him/her and you and Quatre all the time once it's born."  
  
"Uh, you will?" She was un-approving of that arrangement. "Oh, yes. That would be just, lovely."  
  
"Oh I'm so glad the air is clear between us. For the baby's sake at least." Dorothy was entirely pleased with herself. Her performance had done exactly what she had wanted it to do. To make things all the more perfect, whom should she see walking up the street but Quatre. "Oh Quatre! Hello there, how have you been?"  
  
He skidded to a halt. "Dorothy!"  
  
It caused a pain through her heart to see him, but she put on a mask and waved her hand. "Hello Quatre darling. I was just having a lovely chat with your equally lovely girlfriend, isn't that right dear?"  
  
They both stood, looking dumbstruck at her, and each other. She delighted in both of their hurt and confused faces, and yet at the same time it killed her inside. "Well, I'm afraid I must dash," she commented, seeing Trevor in a black car. She knew she must return to her place. "Goodbye to all."  
  
"Dorothy, wait," Quatre called in desperation.  
  
She didn't even turn around. "So sorry, I'll see you all later." She sprinted toward the car and banged on the window. A very startled Trevor opened the door.  
  
"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Shut up Trevor I need a ride." She forced herself in the car.  
  
"Why were you talking to them?"  
  
"I needed to do something, and now I did it. Take me back before I change my mind."  
  
He drove the car the long distance back into the slums. She walked through his same apartment door and collapsed on the coach. Of course Trevor tried to slip his hand down her shirt, but she swatted him away.  
  
"Stop it, Trevor. Don't make me do something I'll regret."  
  
A/N: No comment from me, what do you think?? 


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of remote value, like gundam wing or its characters for example. I'd be lucky if I did, but I don't. So don't sue me  
  
A/N: So sorry for my long absence, but I am back! There was a rather long period of self-doubt and scrutiny, and even the whole 'I'm never writing anything again' phase, but that has past. Thanks again to all reviewers, I appreciate everything. Quintia, I love you!  
  
Love will not Die  
  
Part 14  
  
By, Silver Fox  
  
In the cold harsh reality of the night, Dorothy dreamed a revitalizing dream. It may have been fake, but even the false reality brought light to her darkened senses. Her mind wandered about itself to make her truest desire seem all too real. Her dream was of Quatre. She was getting married to him. The angel rays of the sun beamed down upon the couple, and it seemed nothing bad could ever touch them. Finally, it was the best part.  
  
"I do," she said lovingly, seeing only the wonderful him.  
  
"I do," he repeated. His arm was securely around her waist.  
  
"I now pronounce you man and wife; you may kiss the bride."  
  
The devoted themselves entirely to each other in the breath taking kiss. All their friends gave the customary canned 'Awww.' Everything was perfect, too perfect. Things progressed until it was time for Dorothy to throw the bouquet.  
  
"Are you ready, girls?"  
  
They all shouted eagerly, all ready to fight tooth and nail for the flying flowers. Dorothy counted to three and tossed the bouquet over her silky veiled head. But suddenly, everything went quiet. She turned around and saw that the crowd of her single friends had vanished, and there were only two people standing there. What was worse was the fact that one had a machete in her hand.  
  
"Surrender Dorothy."  
  
"Mira? Sera? What are doing at my wedding?!"  
  
Mira, who had the bulging knife, used it to slice the bouquet in half. Dorothy felt a strange pain in her chest as her beautiful flowers were severed. Then, Mira handed over half of the ruined white roses over to Sera. The roses were now brown and withered, and Dorothy's own hands looked quite wrinkly.  
  
Sera was holding a baby in the crook of one arm, and the flowers in the other. "YOUR wedding? I think not, Dorothy. It is not possible for you to bind yourself to Quatre in any way, shape or form. This is our wedding to him."  
  
Dorothy felt strange, like she was growing old. "What are you talking about?"  
  
It was Mira turn to put in her two cents. "You see this bouquet you just gave us? You threw away your chances with him when you tossed this carelessly, not having any idea where it would fall, or who could steal it from you."  
  
"But, how-,"  
  
"Don't interrupt us now. We hold his past, present and future in our hands, or our arms. Come Quatre, you must now marry us."  
  
A very strange looking Quatre seemed to appear out of nowhere. His face was gaunt and greenish. He very much resembled a zombie. Dorothy tried to grab his arm. "Quatre! Quatre don't go to them. You love me, you just married me!"  
  
He removed her hand with disgust. "Look at you, you have made yourself ugly and old with your ways. I am bound to my child and my good girlfriend, not the one that threw me away. Be gone."  
  
She cringed as she collapsed to her knees. He was walking over to the both of them. He was walking through a field of white roses, like her bouquet, that died the minute he stepped on them. He finally reached them.  
  
"Quatre!" she called. He didn't seem to hear her. He kissed the baby on the forehead and kissed Sera on the cheek. Then, the most painful event was witnessed. He took Mira up in his arms and kissed her with the greatest of passion. Dorothy screamed and watched her hand turn to dust in front of her.  
  
"I will diminish."  
  
"And now for sports.."  
  
She snapped her eyes open. She was lying on the couch, and the television was playing. "It was a dream, all a dream," she told herself. A cold sweat was glazed across her forehead and her head ached terribly. She brought her hand up to her head, but accidentally smacked herself in the forehead with something that she was holding.  
  
"OW! What the," she rubbed her head with her free hand and looked down on what she was holding with the other. "No, it can't be. This isn't mine."  
  
The gun in her hand looked very much like her own. But it couldn't have been. Trevor had stolen it from her. Trevor...  
  
"Trevor! Trevor! Where did this come from? Trevor, are you there? Hello?" She forced herself up, still holding the gun, and walked around to look. He was nowhere in sight. "Where could he be?" She looked down at the weapon. Looking at it, she now realized that it was hers, undoubtedly. But why did she have it again?  
  
"Ok, think fast Dorothy. C'mon, you can do this. I'll put it in the closet. That way it'll look like I never found it." She sidestepped to the closet door and twisted the knob. Of course it was stuck, like always. "Wonderful, just wonderful." She gave it a kick and it did turn. She used her remaining strength to pull the door open. She sighed as she found something.  
  
"Trevor, what are you doing? Are you trying to scare me again because it didn't work." Now that she got a closer look, she feared the worst. "Trevor? Can you hear me?" She turned around the still man and screeched as soon as she saw the front of him. She jumped out of the way as he fell to the ground. He had a bullet hole in his head. There was blood all over the closet. She was standing there in shock. "Oh God, what's going on?"  
  
Sooner than she expected, the front door burst open. It was Felinia, and she had a cop with her, a dimwitted one obviously, but still an officer. "Dorothy, I heard a scream, and I thought I should check on.-," She never finished her sentence. She quivered in fear as she saw Dorothy standing over the dead Trevor, holding a gun. The cop, who was obviously one of her "clients," pulled our his gun and leveled it at Dorothy.  
  
"Aw geez, why did it have to be on my watch? Alright, drop the weapon. Put the gun down."  
  
Dorothy, in a wave of shock, just stood there. Her senses seemed decayed, for she couldn't take in everything.  
  
"Hey, I said drop the weapon! Didn't you hear me?"  
  
Finally, she let the gun fall, and instinctively raised her hands. The officer cautiously approached her and put handcuffs on her. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney," and he droned on with the Miranda rights. She just stood there, thinking.  
  
'Did I kill him?' she thought. 'I couldn't have killed him, could I? I'm ruined now. I'll be convicted of murder whether I'm guilty or not. My downfall has begun. Alone I shall diminish."  
  
A/N: Ok, citing sources time! If anybody remembers, the line "Surrender Dorothy" is what the wicked witch of the west wrote across the sky in the movie "The Wizard of Oz". Of course, I don't own that movie. When I mentioned angel rays that comes from the movie "Evelyn", and I don't own that either. And the "I will diminish" comes from the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (see the movie, it's great!) This chapter was shorter, and I apologize for that if it was too short. I give my word to make things much less complicated after this point. Till the next chapter! 


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters. I do own Mira, the little priss, and Sera and Trevor. Don't take them. And don't sue me; money is the one thing I don't have.  
  
A/N: The long awaited conclusion! I know, I've been a sloth about updating, but doing a play takes up you're entire life. I think I've already told Quintia about this. We're doing the Wizard of Oz, and one of my parts is a munchkin, even though I'm taller than the entire cast. Yeah, I know. At least I get to be Lord Growlie and actually have lines too. Don't ask; our version isn't exactly like the movie. Anyway, as Quintia said, we had "recollections of the future". It's true, when you're high on life, who needs drugs? Ok, sorry, here's the story.  
  
Chapter 15  
  
It took a long while, a very long while. One would think police questioning obviously isn't speedy, but the whole thing put Dorothy in the greatest agony. It had ended, finally, and now the hardest part had come; the waiting. The interrogation room was her temporary prison now. The very walls were black and endless, but so suffocating at the same time. She gulped hard. She would not let tears show her weakness, even though no one else was there at the moment.  
  
"It's happened then," she told herself. "I don't want to be weak. I'm regressing to my old self. I can't do that."  
  
She tilted her neck back and let her thoughts stray. She still continued to speak to the only people who would listen to her; herself and her father.  
  
"Well father, what do you think of me now? What do you think of your little girl?" She paused, causing an interim silence, and almost expecting her father to answer her. His memory was the only thing she was clinging to now. "Fine, don't talk to me. I don't blame you. I threw it away, father. I had something and I threw it all away."  
  
She rolled her neck and focused on her cracked fingernails. Her fingers looked like they had jaundice from all the smoking she did. She stared intently at every detail on each nail, as if they held a certain secret. Like every line was a tale, and every crack a breaking point, and every chip was a downfall. She had more than enough of all of these. If anyone was looking at her, they would have been curious as to why she was now talking to her fingernails.  
  
"You must have watched me, right father? I can't imagine that after all the things I wouldn't have attracted some of your attention. If you did watch, you'd know about him. Oh father, he seemed so much like you. You know who I mean, don't you? Quatre. Yes, you must know about him. Quatre, the kindest man I've ever known. I felt a presence in him, father. The only other time I'd felt that presence was from you. That presence scared me at first. I struck out against him. You saw that coming didn't you? Knowing me, of course I did it. I knew I had to defend myself, but I don't commend stabbing him. I know why I did it now. But that wasn't the issue. Oh no. It was the damn baby."  
  
She twitched her shoulder, just enough to let it crack slightly, relieving a spec of tension. She spotted a group of people from the window on the door, and decided to turn around so as not to have to look at them. 'Out of sight, out of mind.' The only thing in front of her now was the wall. Somehow her remaining dignity didn't feel fit to talk to a wall, so she closed her eyes and spoke slowly to herself; or her father. It didn't matter which, neither of them was really there.  
  
"Sera's, it just HAD to be Sera's baby. Why couldn't it have just been some tramp I never knew? Some hooker like Feline, I could have handled that. Even Mira, I could have handled if it was her kid. But why Sera? Why the detestable harlot that tried to marry Quatre for his money? I couldn't deal with that. A part of her and a part of the thing I love? No, that can't work."  
  
She felt herself slipping into the dark chasm of malice inside her head. Her mouth burned with a fire, and she wished nothing more than to be able to spew it out at everything that had hurt her. For a few solitary moments, she was consumed. Her repressed anger surfaced. Surprisingly, she remained perfectly silent. Only her thoughts were murderous, not her words. She felt her fingers curl up and dig into her hand. She was sure she would draw blood.  
  
BANG!  
  
Her breath rasped in her throat as her eyes snapped open. She spun around in her chair, seeking the source of the noise. Was it a gun? No, it wasn't. She saw that a picture frame had fallen off someone's desk. She spun around again. "Why?" She let out a deep rattling sigh. She hoisted herself up on the table. She thought she heard another noise, but she wasn't even paying attention anymore.  
  
"Why do I do this? Why am I the way I am? Father, do you know? I want to do it over again, Father. I want to go back and accept Quatre. I, well, I need him. I want to accept his baby. I want his love again." Was it possible, she felt tears in her eyes? How could it be? The war loving Dorothy Catalonia, crying? And over peace loving Quatre Rababa Winner? Part of her wouldn't hear of it. "Why did the baby have to come into the picture? But, if loving him means accepting the baby, I'd do it in a heartbeat. If I did that in the first place, maybe I wouldn't be on trial for murder." It seemed she came to a precipice, because a tear was now down her cheek. "I want him back, daddy. I love him."  
  
"Excuse me, Miss?" a voice behind her called. It didn't strike her as familiar.  
  
She wiped the one tear, making sure it wouldn't be seen. She assumed it was a lame brained detective or cop. She decided to make herself known as the venomous creature she really was.  
  
"Why, sir, have you been listening to my conversation with no one? Surely a criminal is of no interest to such a person as you. Now, why don't you just run along to your supervisor and report my abnormal behavior. That is surely what you want to do, isn't it? It's what all mindless lackeys do, so I'm told."  
  
"You offend me, Miss."  
  
"It's what I do best, sir. Kindly leave."  
  
"I'm never leaving you again."  
  
This last remark caught her off guard. She knew it was him, but she refused to turn around. She kept her wall up. "So it is you."  
  
"Yes." He replied meekly. She heard the depth of pity in his voice. Pity was one thing she never accepted.  
  
She tossed her hair and crossed her legs. "What do you want?"  
  
"Forgiveness, for one thing."  
  
"For one thing? Oh that's rich, Quatre. You're asking more than that?"  
  
There was a pause for a beat, before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Despite her will, she didn't want to remove it, nor did she want eye contact. She feared it.  
  
"I have something to tell you."  
  
"And what is that?"  
  
"You didn't do it."  
  
This was a little much for her. She forced herself to face him. She almost lost herself in those ocean eyes again. They were so kind and shining. No, she couldn't let herself falter. "Don't toy with me. I don't need lies."  
  
The expression on his face was indescribable. She felt her stomach giving out from under her just seeing him again. "I would never toy with you. I just spoke to the police."  
  
"The police think I did it."  
  
"Not anymore, they have the truth."  
  
She squirmed a little. He was talking in circles, and it made her so uneasy. He was sitting on the table with her now, and she was fighting every fiber of her being not to fall into his arms. She decided to show him she hadn't lost her edge. The harshest look possible braced her face as she spoke sternly. "Quatre, if we owe each other nothing else, we owe each other the truth. I know our love is dead. It's as dead as our fathers, as dead Trevor, and I can deal with that. But I can't deal with lies from the most honest person I know. Just tell me straight, what do you know?"  
  
He was taken back by her abrasive attitude. His heart cringed a little by the look in her eyes, but he knew she was right. They did owe each other the truth, though he was quite sure their love wasn't dead, was it? 'Not now,' he told himself, 'give her the truth.'  
  
"You're right. You were always right, you know that? Alright, I'll run you through the whole thing. I just brought in the real criminal."  
  
"The who?"  
  
"You heard me. Mira."  
  
"Mira? But how did-,"  
  
"Shh. I'll tell you. But you have to listen to me."  
  
She unconsciously inched closer to him. She wanted to feel him breathing, just to make sure he was real. "Go ahead."  
  
"Right. Well, the scenario is this. I had just gotten home and," his eyes trailed off as he remembered.  
  
****  
  
He walked down a winding corridor on the way to his office. The briefcase seemed to slip in his sweaty hand. His nerves wouldn't be able to take this much longer. His hands were shaking. Yes, it happened every time he thought of her.  
  
'Dorothy,' he thought. He never really stopped thinking about her, not even for a single moment. 'Why? Why are you living with that-thing? He doesn't deserve you. You need to be respected for the person you are. If not with me, well, then with someone who will, but not him.' He reached the door to his office and put his hand on the doorknob. He was just about to twist it open when he heard a voice inside.  
  
"What the..." He hesitated, and listened carefully. It sounded like a, no, couldn't be. A girly giggle? He turned the knob and in one fluent swift motion, shoved the door open. He breathed a sigh, half of relief, and half of frustration.  
  
"Mira, what are you doing? What happened to my office?"  
  
There she was, dressed in a black flapper outfit, and sprawled across his desk. All of the papers were thrown carelessly to the floor, and his computer was on the floor mingled with them. She had an odd blissful look on her face. Something just wasn't right with this picture. She rolled over to face him and put one knee in the air.  
  
"Quatre, darling. I'm SO glad you're finally here. I've been waiting. But sweetheart, aren't you happy to see me?"  
  
He threw his briefcase down and ran over to his fallen computer, checking for cracks. He wasn't even looking at her. Right now he just didn't care about her. "Mira, what the hell were you thinking? You could have broken my computer. Do you have any idea how much information I have on this thing? And what's with that ridiculous outfit?"  
  
She looked surprisingly hurt. She put her knee down and rolled over on her stomach, pouting to herself. "Ridiculous? This is my favorite outfit, and you call it ridiculous? You have me scantily clad on your desk and all you can worry about is your computer? I thought I meant more to you than that. You don't love me anymore," she whined, turning on the waterworks. "You don't care about me. You wish I was dead, whaaa," she buried her face in her arms and screamed high pitched sobs.  
  
Quatre gave an exasperated sigh, and left his computer to put a hand on her shoulder. It wasn't so much that he cared about her at the moment, he just cared about his ears being exposed to her shrill cries. "Mira, calm down, stop crying, please. Come on, I don't wish you were dead. How could you say that? I'm sorry, ok? Just calm down, please." 'Geez, her tears might ruin the finish on my desk.'  
  
She sniffled and looked up at him. She became quiet, much to the relief of his eardrums, but then a look of insane greed came over her face and she pulled him to sit on the desk with her. "I'll forgive you, on one condition. Make love to me, here, now, on your desk!"  
  
He jumped back, very frightened now. "Mira, what's gotten into you?"  
  
She stretched a slightly pale arm out to him. "I want you, come to me. We don't have to worry about anyone else right now. I took care of it."  
  
He was slowly backing his way to the door. 'Uh oh, she's turned psycho on me. I'd better play along.' "Really? You took care of it? Well that's wonderful news. How about I go get us something to drink? I'll be right back." He turned the knob only to find it wouldn't open. 'Crap. She's psycho and I'm stuck in the room with her.' She had a mad twinkle in her eyes.  
  
"Oh no you don't. You can't leave now. I locked the door from the inside."  
  
'Great. Just great. Play along, Quatre, play along.' "Alright, I won't go. But, can't we do this some other time? I mean, I'm just really tired."  
  
She got up off the table and stalked over to him. "I know. It's her. You still have a thing for her. Well I can't lie to you. I mean, I still had a thing for someone else until recently."  
  
"What?"  
  
She cackled. "Oh yeah. I'm not as innocent as I seem. I've been messing around with this guy-,"  
  
"You mean while we were together? You cheated on me?" He felt somewhat hurt, but he knew it was more of a good feeling. He had an excuse to dump her.  
  
"Oh Quatre, you don't know anything. I still love you, I mean. But right away I knew you were never going to love me the way I loved you. You still were in love. And, well, sometimes, you know, a girl just really needs to get some. And you wouldn't give me any, so I had to go out and get some for myself."  
  
He was just shaking his head. He didn't believe she could have ever been this bad. "Mira, are you saying that you're easy?"  
  
She tossed her silky strawberry blond hair. Her perfect white teeth were shining in all their straightened glory. "Easy? Who me? Oh course not, how could you ever-ok, you're right, I am. But it wasn't only about the sex. I admit it, I made a mistake. I fell in love with this guy. The way we were together, it was magical. He made me feel so special, and God, he sure was beautiful."  
  
Something was off about that statement. "Was?"  
  
"That's right, was. You see," she backed up and started singing.  
  
"Pop, six, squish, ah uh, Cicero, Lipshitz"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"He had it comin' He had it comin' He only had himself to blame If you had been there, if you had seen it I betcha you would have done the same!"  
  
Quatre didn't know what song this was, but he did know that Mira was butchering it. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"He had it comin' He had it comin' He took a flower in its prime And then he used it, and he abused it It was a murder but not a crime!"  
  
He was very disturbed now. "You killed somebody?!"  
  
"That's right, but I'll tell you why. I loved this guy more than I could say. He was a real tough guy. Macho, a sort of thug. But he was always going out to find himself in the city and on the way; he found Ruth, Gladys, Rosemary, and Irving. I guess you can say we broke up because of artistic differences; he saw himself as alive, and I saw him dead! So I took a gun out from his closet and fired a warning shot...into his head!" She was really getting very upset now, and very hysterical. Her eyes were frantic and crazy.  
  
"Mira, calm down, please."  
  
"He told me he loved me! He told me I was the only one for him! I gave myself all to him, and he told me he'd never leave me! But no, then he throws me to the curb. You can't just do that to a person's feelings! I had feelings, didn't I? Tell me I was right Quatre!"  
  
He was across the room, desperately trying to keep his distance. He tried to calm her. "Yes, Mira. You were right. He was terrible to do that to you. He deserved it."  
  
"Oh I'm so happy you agree with me!"  
  
"But, what about the police?"  
  
"Don't worry, I framed the perfect person."  
  
Quatre felt his stomach lurch. "You framed an innocent person?"  
  
She violently swayed her head back and forth. "No no, she's not innocent in any account. Dorothy, ick. I know she would have killed Trevor eventually. She was a danger to him. It was all her fault that he didn't love me anymore! If she hadn't been living with him he wouldn't have strayed, he'd still love me! But she would have killed him. I just helped her along with it. That's it, that's what I did."  
  
The minute that she mentioned her name his blood boiled. "Dorothy? You killed Trevor and you're framing Dorothy for it?!"  
  
She tried to look innocent again, to no avail. "I did it for you too, don't you see? You couldn't give yourself to me because of her. Now she'll be put away and we can have each other, don't you understand? Take my hand, Quatre. We can have a perfect life together now."  
  
She was holding her manicured hand out, waiting for him to accept her, like she always wanted him to. He was ready to spit nails, but much to her surprise, he took her hand. A look of pure and utter ecstasy came onto her face for about two seconds. Then, he wrenched her arm around her back and held the other arm there with it, keeping her at bay.  
  
"Quatre!"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
She tried to struggle but he kept his hold. He reached his foot over to a spot underneath his desk to push a button. Instantly, blazing alarms were all that could be heard. When the police got there, they took her into custody, and Quatre gave them the videotape from the security camera in his office to prove every word she had said.  
  
****  
  
"And that leaves us at the present," he concluded to her, after he finished the entire spiel. "You can get off now; they can prove she's guilty."  
  
The whole story left her dumbstruck. She would have never put it past that Mirror would have been so crafty and psychotic all at the same time. "Well, thank you."  
  
"For what?" He was hoping for a certain response, hoping for it with all his heart.  
  
"Thank you for bringing the real criminal to justice. I commend you for your bravery. I owe you a lot. Nice seeing you again, goodbye."  
  
His hopes faltered. He should have known that she wouldn't take him back so easily. He would have to beg. And that's precisely what he wanted to do. "That's it? You have nothing else to say?"  
  
"That's all."  
  
"Well, if you'll excuse me, Dorothy, I'm not quite finished. Care to listen?  
  
She flicked fingernails together. "Sure. I've got nothing better to do."  
  
He got up from the table and stood in front of her. This wasn't going to be easy. "Dorothy, I'm sorry."  
  
"Sorry? You? Really, well how nice. Are you done yet?"  
  
He gulped. "No, I'm not. I am really, truly sorry. I'm sorry I told you to leave. I'm sorry I ever met psycho-bitch, I'm sorry I started dating her. I'm sorry for being so arrogant. I'm sorry for taking my pain out on you." He felt a tear slip out of his eye. He picked up one of her hands and put it on his face. How beautiful it felt to feel her touch again. "I never stopped loving you. I never will stop loving you. You're everything."  
  
She didn't remove her hand from his face, though her head kept screaming at her to get up and leave. She felt his wax like pale skin. She missed him, oh how she missed him. She missed the way his skin felt against hers, she missed his gentle words, and she missed the way he'd never think less of her if she cried. Who was she kidding; she was still head-over-heels in love with him. But she wouldn't give in, yet. "I'm not everything, and you know that's true. What about Sera's baby? It was enough of an issue to tear us apart. We failed, Quatre. I failed you." She moved her hand up to his hair. She ran her hand through it as if it were silk. "You were the better person. I'm just not a good person. You knew that, you really did. I didn't want to share you with that baby. I was afraid you would love me less with that kid."  
  
"I could never love you less."  
  
"But it's over. Our love is dead. Mira proved that."  
  
"No, Dorothy. Neither of us failed. We beat Mira. Love will not die, Dorothy."  
  
She was startled. It didn't really make sense. "Excuse me?"  
  
He put his hands on her bare shoulders and leaned in. "Love will not Die, Dorothy. It can only be forgotten, or tried to be forgotten. But something as beautiful as our love is not dead, nor will it ever be. Listen, as long as I live, as long as blood flows through my veins, as long as I can breath even but a breathe from my body, I will do it all loving you. Even when I die, my soul," he kissed her lightly, and pulled away only to finish talking, "will always be devoted to you."  
  
"I," she couldn't retort that. She just couldn't find a cynical retort to such a lovely speech. She felt something break in her stomach and she just grabbed him and gave him the most passionate of kisses. They lost their hatred and complications in the sweet moment. Nothing could destroy them now. When they did break apart, she only said one thing before she started at him again. "I love you. Take me home."  
  
He picked her up off the table and stood her up. She looked at him strangely, but he put up his hands in protest. "Wait, there's something I need to finish. This isn't exactly the place, but, oh well." He got down on one knee and she gasped. She had waited for this for so long and now it was happening...in the interrogation room of a police station? Who cared!  
  
He took her hand and took a box out of his pocket. "Dorothy Catalonia, I don't know exactly what I can say to top what I just told you, but here goes. Dorothy, you're the most irritating, stubborn, and strong willed woman I know, and sometimes you annoy the hell out of me, and I love that. I love the way you do everything. I love the way you contradict me, and the way you love me. I can't be alive unless my life is with you." He opened the box and revealed a beautiful antique looking ring. "Dorothy, will you marry me?"  
  
She gaped at the ring and sarcastically responded. "No, I won't. What do you think I'll say? Yes! Forever yes!" She jumped onto him and they both gave themselves entirely in their kiss. Then, he nuzzled his nose into her hair. "You like the ring?"  
  
She playfully blew in his ear. "I love it, just like I love you."  
  
He got a little more serious and said, "It was my mother's ring."  
  
She gasped and pulled away to look at it. It was the most beautiful thing, and it was his mother's? She looked at him in disbelief. "You're sure that I'm worth your mother's ring? I know how much she meant to you."  
  
He kissed her neck. "Only you are worthy of that ring."  
  
She held him tighter. "I don't know what to say."  
  
"What do you say we get out of here?"  
  
"I'm ready when you are."  
  
Arm in arm, they strutted out the door and into the police station, and of course, attracted the attention of the entire room. Dorothy, feeling like her old overbearing self, waved them off.  
  
"Don't mind us. We've just found each other again. Continue with your work."  
  
As they walked to the door, a guard stopped them. "Excuse me, but she still needs to have this paper work cleared." He handed them a huge stack of papers, and she looked them over. It was all legal mumbo jumbo that really seemed no matter. So, she tossed them up in the air.  
  
"Sorry, but I haven't the time. Call me in the morning, if I'm not too tired." She pulled him out and they sprinted outside, laughing and kissing all the while. And for the first time in their lives, they were truly free. And that was all the world needed right then. And that was all life needed to be.  
  
A/N: Ta da! And that's that! Ok, citing time. The thing with Mira wearing the black flapper outfit and singing was because I saw the movie "Chicago". She was singing part of the "Cell Block Tango", and I changed and spliced different parts of that together. I don't own the movie or Broadway play. As for this story, I finally finished it! I also have two other things planned; a prequel and a sequel to this story, so watch out for those. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, it's meant so much to me. I hope I can be a better writer because of what you all told me. Quintia, I love you! Peace out! 


End file.
